Musings On The Mamba, The NFL & Laughing At The Exclusivity Of The "CFP"

(Note, I started typing this yesterday and finished it off today.  So yeah...enjoy.)

Welp, since tonight's Monday Night Football game is effectively for degenerate gambling types only (cause I can't imagine anyone else outside of the individual fanbases involved having any amounts of give a shit about two non playoff teams battling)...I figure I may as well make my first formal NFL blog with November about over with.  As we head into the home stretch of December, it's literally a tale of two conferences.

One's incredibly top heavy in the AFC with the Pats & Bengals at the top, I'm not quite ready to put Denver up there with them just yet.  If they go nostalgic and throw Peyton back out there when it's clear that his body is not close to where his mind is...they're likely one and done.  If they stick with Brock who's clearly showing he's not ready to turn this thing back over to Peyton, who knows?  The Colts have been a real Jekyll & Hyde act all year.  With Luck behind center, they look lost mostly because he does.  Apparently he has been playing hurt for most of the first half of the year and his play has nosedived considerably (go fig this is the year I get him in fantasy).  However, when his 40 year old counterpart has stepped in to replace him, they're 4-0.  No, really.  They have yet to lose a start with Hasselbeck under center.  So while I don't see them making a run or even a walk of any kind, it's clear that at least for this season, staying with the hot hand could be the thing that keeps them from losing the division to Houston.  Ah yes, Houston.  The great 'What If' that seemingly never materializes because they just can't seem to find a QB to get this offense rolling.  Double J Watt continues doing Watt things on defense, as he reminds me of a new age Reggie White who likely won't ever compete for a Super Bowl until he lands with an offense that can make his defense matter.

Buffalo has underachieved a lot, Oakland is looking like it's just about ready to snap out of a near 13 year slumber and return to the playoffs.  If it's not this season, it's definitely going to be next season.  Depending on what Elway does, Osweiler/Carr could be the next great divisional beef for years to come.  Miami's simply an average team that everyone pumped up to be the team that FINALLY puts an end to the Patriots' reign of divisional dominance and they have imploded.  Suh has gone Haynesworth on them, as in he got his money and now is in no shits given mode.  Or maybe he does and it's just not looking good.  I don't know.  The Jags are only in the conversation because the AFC South is just THAT BAD (the NFC East is just as atrocious).  Only the Clowns, Titans, Ravens & Chargers are totally out of it.  In the NFC, wow.

Apparently a year ago today, Carolina lost its last regular season game.  They haven't lost since.  I believe if they win 12-14 games and are the #1 seed in the NFC, Cam should win the MVP award this season.  (Should only share it if New England finishes with a similar mark.)  When Kelvin Benjamin went down with a season ending injury, I wrote their offense off.  It was Greg Olsen and a bunch of never weres or has beens.  No way do they do anything of any consequence.  Boy, was I wrong here.  Their D is stellar across the board and the Panthers are going to be a seriously tough out in the playoffs.  As will Arizona, so long as nothing happens to Palmer like last season or they just get lazy for no good reason.  Their D is right up there with Carolina's and they too, will be seriously tough to push out.  After that, there are more question marks than you'd see on The Riddler's outfit.  Minnesota has seemingly come out of nowhere sparked by Adrian Peterson's rise from who knows what.  He lost a season because he whipped his kid like he stole something with a switch and at the age where most backs start to slow down, he hasn't.  That, combined with the emergence of Bridgewater and Barr on defense, has sparked a Purple Push towards the top.  Oh, one other thing outside of the Purple Place has sparked it.  Green Bay's inexplicable and maybe inevitable fall from divisional grace.  They're a game back but man, something just looks really OFF with them all year.  Rodgers has been super shaky, Lacy hasn't been himself and their D which was suspect anyhow hasn't helped stop the bleeding from this offense which hasn't recovered after losing Jordy Nelson.  So short of an absolute implosion over this last month, I'm not seeing the Pack slip.  It's that last Wild Card spot plus that other divisional champion that gets very interesting.

Yesterday, the Giants could've put a serious chokehold on the division race.  With the Cowboys all but done and Philly all but done with Chip Kelly, only Washington looms as their biggest divisional hurdle.  But they haven't lost to these clowns in years, so surely coming off a bye...they'd win yesterday.  Right?  NOPE.  The Giants as they have done consistently this year, when they look awful, they go full on compost heap.  Three picks by Eli.  Offense can't run.  OBJ does OBJ type stuff, but it's not enough.  Now, the tiebreaker falls with the Washington Ethnic Slurs and the schedule doesn't exactly favor the Giants the rest of the way.  Their experience should give them the advantage, but that's something that should have carried them to a victory yesterday and it didn't.  So even as a fan, I don't know.  Their D is a serious work in progress and their inability to run the rock gives me serious pause about their chances of winning a third title in as many seasons in the Elite Era.  Then, there's that last Wild Card spot and that's a real head scratcher.

After dragging their feet for most of this season for various reasons, the two time defending conference champions appear to be back on it.  However, after losing Graham for the season and it looking more and more like Rawls is the new hotness behind Wilson...can Seattle really be trusted?  Their usually staunch D has been gouged quite often this season and folks don't appear to be as afraid as they used to be of throwing on them.  As evident by the 400 plus yards that the Steelers dropped upside their head yesterday.  Seattle won't catch the Cardinals in the division, but they're a dangerous team if they CAN make it in because of their championship pedigree.  The other team in the mix only because of its good start, are the Not As Dirty As They Used To Be Birds from the ATL.  They were 5-0 at one point and well, they're 1-5 since.  I don't know what has happened to them, but they're losing ground and they've now got a young Tampa team in their rear view closing FAST.  Tampa drafted my main man from FSU, "Infamous" Jameis WInston and handed him the reins immediately.  He's playing better and that offense around him isn't bad at all.  They have the tiebreaker over Chicago (SURPRISE SURPRISE, they're not dead in the water after all!) and the Giants (yet another reason why their margin for error going forward now is super slim), so all they have to do is play the rest of the season like they're oblivious to the pressure and they're good.  After that, well, it's not exactly clear who or what is ready to step up.

Despite having the best young back in the game, the Rams probably won't be playoff bound this season.  The Bears have shown signs of life when they were thought to be dead in the water.  Detroit, well, will continue to waste the prime of a supremely gifted offensive talent with idiotic roster management and inept coaching.  (How oh how did Jim Caldwell talk his way into another job after that smash up job he did with the Colts?) In Philly, Chip Kelly the GM helped make life for Chip Kelly the Coach near impossible.  I have zero tears to shed for that.  The Saints are probably done for in all honesty.  They've already fired their defensive coordinator, their O won't be enough to get them back to the playoffs and not enough dominoes will fall in their favor to make that happen.

Some 'Extra Point' stuff...

- Cleveland losing the way it did last night was 'typical' Cleveland.  Best reaction came from the fan who was so livid, he literally tore through his Browns jersey.  ProTip kids, when your team makes you so livid you're tearing through stuff like that, find a new team.  Don't be that person who hangs on to an untimely death.  Speaking of...
- Mike Pettine should be fired.  For thinking that Josh McCown is their "best chance to win" and for his clear bias against Johnny Manziel.  Look, I get Johnny isn't a patron saint.  He is a party animal, much the same way that Rob Gronkowski is.  Wanna know the difference?  It's a different narrative entirely when your team is WINNING while you're partying versus them LOSING while doing that.  I get he had a disagreement with his significant other a few weeks back and well, shit happens.

But Johnny has performed well when he has played and simply put, the vicious career crushing cycle of killing QB careers has to STOP.  It's that simple.  Build a team around Johnny, be supportive of his growth both as a player and as a person.  If that's too difficult (and given who we're talking about,eh), then send him to a team that will.

- College Football.  I can't stand this CFP nonsense.  Excuse me, what it really is in essence is the Big School Invitational because only the 'Big Schools' are truly invited.  I think this thing was a lot better off with computers deciding things, they weren't as agenda driven as these humans are I tell ya what.  Right now, there are just two unbeatens left heading into Title Weekend.  Clemson & Iowa.  Now, Clemson is ranked #1 and has the simplest path to a seat at the table.  Beat North Carolina and you're good.  Iowa on the other hand, is something of an unsure thing even with a date against #5 Michigan State in Indy this weekend.  What bugs me is that the very thing being held against Iowa in terms of their spot in these rankings (they haven't played anybody, conference or nonconference) is something you could hold against the likes of Alabama and other teams that are thought more highly of when you talk playoff consideration.

Hell, even the Media and Coaches polls are showing Iowa no respect.  Alabama and Oklahoma respectively are ranked ahead of the unbeaten Hawkeyes, something that is definitely influenced by this BSI nonsense.  After slaughtering OK State, Oklahoma was nudged past both Big Ten schools in the AP and they're one spot below Iowa in the Coaches (Iowa's looking up at Alabama there).  I miss the days when not losing games, scheduling be damned actually meant more than the name attached to your record and what ratings come along with it.  Clearly OU & Bama have more national sizzle than Iowa, which makes their title game against Michigan State easily the most important game this school has played in YEARS.  It hasn't won a conference title in 13 years.  (Also worth noting that year they had a SHARE of the Big Ten with Ohio State.)  That 2002 team was thumped by USC during the infant stages of the Trojan Dynasty that was picking up steam after years of doing absolutely nothing of consequence.  Their last outright Big Ten title was 1985.  Even still, regardless of who they have or have not beaten let's face facts...

Everything that makes March Madness so great is going to be the undoing of college football.  College basketball's system is INCLUSIVE whereas this system in its present incarnation is more or less EXCLUSIVE.  Even if they expand this to 8 teams which is very likely within the next two years or so, it won't change.  What it will do is drive teams like Boise State and others to join bigger conferences in the hopes of not being left out of future playoff consideration.  Oh and because it wouldn't be right of me to close this out without mentioning him...

- The Black Mamba is walking away after this season.  Kobe Bryant came out in the Class of 1996, one year after KG in 95 and one year before Tim Duncan.  In my lifetime, my Mount Rushmore goes like this...

MJ.  Magic.  Duncan.  Bird.

Kobe was outstanding, but his ego which made him great and helped get him 5 rings, likely kept him from surpassing Jordan.  When things between he and Shaq couldn't be resolved, leading to Shaq being sent packing, the Lakers toiled in mediocrity for a while.  The worst of it was when Phoenix came from a 3-1 series hole to run the Lakers home and Kobe in that finale was nonexistent.  That's a HUGE blemish on his resume that none of the others have.  They get Pau Gasol in exchange for Marc Gasol and we all know what happens next.  Kobe gets to the Finals drawing even with the Celts and beating the Magic for his final ring in 2010.  Kobe never got out of the second round after that last title and after the vaunted Howard & Nash experiment went bust, Kid Buss never replenished the roster to give Kobe one more chance.  Kobe's body has gone out on him and his run will end in depressing fashion.  He is without a shadow of a doubt the second greatest shooting guard I've seen in my lifetime behind MJ and ahead of Wade.  However, I cannot put him ahead of Duncan who has five rings and a longer string of success compared to Kobe.  Duncan has not missed the playoffs in his career.  EVER.  Even though the head to head meetings with Duncan actually favors Kobe (4-2), Duncan's sustained consistency over such a long stretch cannot be ignored.

And I'm done...

Why Survivor Series Was Crap & Why The Ending Didn't Matter...

I've been watching the WWE for close to three decades now and this is as bad as I've seen it in well, roughly 20 years or so.  Ratings have hit new lows and even though I think that's a bad indicator of what's great and what isn't sportswise...this is a really tough watch right now for a few reasons which I'll outline here.

First, no storylines...AT ALL.  Like any good show, you gotta have characters engaged in storylines to keep people entertained.  This is the first time in about 20 years that the WWE, the brand which labels itself "sports entertainment" has absolutely SUCKED at entertaining the masses.  Creative hasn't earned its paycheck in forever and over the last few months, it's real apparent to me at least, the only person they're seemingly writing anything for is Roman Reigns.  (I'll get to him in a bit.)  Without storylines of any kind, you have what most have been watching every week.  Aimless hooblah going around and around with no discernible direction whatsoever.  Nobody gets over.  Nobody is entertained.

Second, there's no future.  No, really, there's NONE.  This is where I go off not on the finale, but something that largely went unnoticed by most folks in the midst of their anger about how the Survivor Series ended.  That's all fine and well, but The Wyatt Family were effectively jobbed out to The Old Men Of Destruction, Undertaker & Kane.  Now, for the uninitiated this goes all the way back to January.  Bray Wyatt through a series of well laid cryptic promos called out The Undertaker, wanting to finish what Brock Lesnar started when he ended The Streak last April.  Taker responded and even though he didn't need to, even though he probably shouldn't have, beat Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania XXXI.  Okay.  Taker moved on to retribution in the form of kicking Brock in the junk repeatedly and Bray became The Smark's Advocate as he went on a 'Anyone But Roman' crusade.  Both of these crusades ended on the same night last month and that's when Bray, unsuccessful in his quest to snuff out Roman decided to renew acquaintances with The Undertaker who was done in ironically enough...with a low blow by Brock who claimed final victory inside Heck In A Cage.  Bray, with his 'Family' consisting of three big guys who look like they not only haven't missed a meal but probably consumed a few in their sleep...beat Taker to a pulp.  They carried him off and the next night on Raw when Bray came out to brag about what he did, Kane got much of the same.

Now again, while Taker & Kane aren't lightweights by any stretch of the imagination, they're up against four guys as tall and as big as they are.  Two weeks ago, The Old Men returned and in one night, effectively laid waste to all four men seemingly at the same time.  This comes 13 days before their tag match at Survivor Series and I guess the E felt like giving people a preview of what was to come.  Cause 13 days after the two of them returned, damned if the same exact thing didn't play out at Survivor Series.  It was Taker & Kane against Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper officially.  First one to get dealt with was Erick Rowan.  Then there was Braun Strowman, the biggest of these four who was unveiled late August.  He was put through a table best I can recollect.  Long story short, Luke Harper gets tombstoned by Taker and that's it.  So while I get that Sunday night was about commemorating the 25 year anniversary of Taker's debut in the company, this was the absolute perfect time to pass that proverbial torch to someone else.  To someone who much like Taker, is a really good 'dark' character.  The Wyatt Family could've been a really good dark unit but well, nobody does nostalgic quite like the E.  While its past will shine bright, its future is super bleak.  Bray Wyatt has lost virtually every major fight he has picked over the last year with the three biggest dogs roaming the yard (John Cena, Roman Reigns & The Undertaker).  One would say it's an honor unto itself to be able to say within a calendar year, you've worked with all three of those names but it doesn't count for anything if all you're doing is LOSING to them.  Still, with a roster this stacked with talent from the top (Roman and Dean are definitely up there, Kevin Owens has made waves since he entered the company in February and he's not going anywhere) down, it's insane that it's THIS BAD.

Survivor Series well, was much like every other special event you will see going forward.  A largely underwhelming midcard and a hit or miss main event.  The three tournament matches were good, the finale was shorter than expected and I have to think it's a teaser for future attractions down the line.  (Least I hope that's the case.)  THE finale was when Roman Reigns turned down Triple H's handshake with an emphatic Spear and turned into a Brogue Kick by Sheamus who cashed in his Money In The Bank title shot (good for 365 days to get a title shot anywhere, anytime, anyplace).  Now it's worth pointing out that no man has ever been cashed in on or on the wrong end of it twice within a calendar year.  Thanks to two Brogue Kicks by Sheamus, Roman Reigns can say he's the first to do so.  Now, it was a forgone conclusion that Roman Reigns would become champion here.  Didn't matter if Seth Rollins blew out everything in his knee or not.  This was the predetermined point where it all came full circle for him.  Thing is, he's STILL not ready for a few reasons.  First and foremost, he cannot talk for extended spurts.  Being champion isn't just about LOOKING the part which he does in spades, whatever that means.  You have to be able to SOUND the part and that's something, he just doesn't have and isn't close to right now.  Whether Vince is writing his shit or not, it's clear the second that camera light goes red, Roman just sounds dead.  Next, he has what I call John Cena Heat which isn't good for a company that's looking to have its top face cheered by EVERYONE.  John Cena Heat is defined by me as someone who is getting a 50/50 reaction at best and general apathy from the fans at worst.  Roman through no fault of his own, has had John Cena Heat since January when most caught on to the fact that Roman was being slingshotted to the top of the heap against their wishes.  Now, last year he was liked.  Well liked.  But the one thing that the company hasn't figured out, is that you can't tell the paying public what they're going to cheer for anymore.  It's not the 80s.  It's as crappy as the 90s and here's the thing most of these "smart marks" don't get.  It wouldn't have mattered if Roman walked out of Sunday as champion or not.  It's not going to matter that Sheamus, who should have something of a career rebirth so long as booking doesn't cripple his title run the way it has, well, everyone over the last few years.  Sheamus had his first run as champion towards the end of 2009 and hasn't done a ton since of consequence, he's better suited as a heel.  Being paired alongside Triple H, won't hurt him in the least bit.  This ending works out well on several fronts...

For The Authority, it's a much needed and past due reboot.  I'm sorry but while Kane & Show are big and were tag champs once upon a time...they were more comic relief than they were intimidating.  Monday we got a new look at what The Authority likely will resemble going forward.  Sheamus, Rusev & Wade Barrett.  Unfortunately with the current piss poor state that creative is in, nothing will come of this and it's a shame because those are three really good talents paired up with two of the best heel heat magnets in the form of Triple H & Stephanie McMahon.  Speaking of Triple H, this breathes new life into his heel authority form which had effectively flatlined over the last few months.  Roman will be the target of his angst going forward as he makes it his mission to ensure Roman doesn't regain the title on his watch.  At Wrestlemania, their beef will reach its boiling point more than likely.  Even though I've read that Sheamus is likely holding the belt up until the Rumble, he should keep it until Mania.  It's also worth noting that Roman's road to the title hit a roadblock at Money In The Bank back in June, the very night when Sheamus snatched the case he failed to thanks to Bray Wyatt's interference.

Fact is right now, television is as uninteresting as it has ever been and as a result, people are tuning out.  I cancelled the WWE Network a few months back and I only agreed to get it back cause of the free month they offered me.  That and two other reasons, one was because I wanted to know how this tourney played out and the other is next month when Finn Balor defends the NXT Championship against Samoa Joe.  NXT is really good, but it's a stark contrast to what's wrong with the main product.  One hour of NXT is light years greater than everything that we're presently getting from Raw and Smackdown COMBINED.  It's really not rocket science, people.  The weekly shows are pretty much a paint by numbers operation and it's not a good one.  This week we got Sheamus coming out, gloating about his win Sunday night and Roman coming out to stake his claim for a rematch.  Now, Roman wasn't angry about being screwed and showed literally no emotion to indicate he was upset about what went down.  Hell, he showed more emotion the night before after the fact than he did the following night.  John Cena Clone Sequence, commence!!!  The E is turning Roman into another John Cena.  Like Cena, Roman doesn't take anything too seriously even when it all but screams that he does so.  Problem is, Cena has done so much it's kinda understandable that he has such a laid back deal about him.  Roman hasn't done 1/3 of what Cena has.  Considering the last few months he has had, being robbed by Seth at Wrestlemania, getting denied the Money In The Bank by Bray in June and then losing Sunday night thanks to Sheamus robbing him...Roman needed to show he's PISSED.  He's sick of folks robbing him and he's ready to start blowing through fools.  But he didn't and at the end of the night, faced with a three on one disadvantage, Roman went through all three guys with a steel chair.  Just like John Cena has.  This company isn't about making stars anymore, just 'The Next So & So'.  Thing is, this is another part of the problem.  John Cena got his big break ten years ago and ever since roughly August of 2005, he hasn't had 100% of the crowd support since.  This is where John Cena Heat comes from.  Dueling chants of adulation and utter disdain at the same time.  Generally, you don't want your audience split about the top hero in the company.  There was no split reaction for Hogan or Austin in their respective primes.

So...the sad reality here is short of a total overhaul creatively speaking, this isn't going to change anytime soon.  Seth Rollins, Cesaro and Randy Orton are out until at the very earliest next Spring.  Orton apparently needs neck surgery on top of the injury to his shoulder, so maybe next Summer for him.  Losing Cesaro and Rollins hurts, as it's two fewer bodies for a creative and booking team that can't seem to stay out of its own way.  Sadly for them, the viewers will keep tuning out until they get with the program, pardon the obvious pun.

The Super Blog!!! (One. Day. Late.)

What a game.  Had to be, otherwise I'd be ranting poetic about the nonsensical bullshit world we live in where ball pressure can get pounded on more than a critical topic such as head injuries and the long term damage they cause in the NFL.  (Or some health related issue to that effect.)  So what did last night teach us if nothing else???

DEFENSE.  STILL WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS.  (Especially when you're not handing the ball off to the most physically imposing force to lace up a pair of cleats not named Bo or Earl.)
- Yes, Tom Brady threw the ball 50 times against easily the best secondary in the NFL.  Didn't throw at Sherman and well not for the sake of being sensible, but why should he?  If I'm having success throwing at other folks, I don't need to show how big my balls are by throwing at THE BEST CORNER IN THE GAME TODAY.  That's how you lose games, especially on the biggest stage.  (Oops, hi Pete!  I'll get to you in a second.)  The Pats won a game last night that technically, it had no business winning because after one of the most unexplainable catches you'll ever see...Seattle made an unexplainable call that most Seahawks fans and players will see in their nightmares for all of eternity.

Malcolm Butler, a corner you probably never heard of a day in your life, became Larry Brown 2.0 by jumping a pass that never should've been thrown and sealed the deal with a pick.  Showing yet again, that offense may put points on the board and give certain stats crazed junkies an unbelievable high...but at the end of the day, your ability to STOP SOMEBODY is what gets you paid, laid and championship made.  (Eh, I tried with that last one.)

Da Hoodie & The Guy That He Replaced
- Da Hoodie remains the most decorated disciple of the Bill Parcells Coaching Tree and for reasons I'll never know, it's not mentioned the way it should be.  Da Hoodie oversaw the D for one of the more underrated defensive units in the 80s & 90s (The Big Blue Wrecking Crew with L.T., Harry Carson, Pepper Johnson and other bone crushing folks of that sort) and while he hasn't had half that talent in Foxboro, he has done a pretty damn great job coaching these boys up regardless.  This year, much like most others since their last SB run a few years ago...they were left for dead after KC blew their doors off in a Monday Night game back in October.  The Pats, didn't roll over and play dead, they circled the wagons and went about business as usual.  Another season of double digit wins, media hatred cause they wouldn't cave as they were supposed to and now, a fourth ring putting him alongside former Blitzburgh coach Chuck Noll.  Now about That Guy Who He Replaced In New England...

Pete.  Carroll.  I have to admit, he has major backbone.  Not a ton of brains after last night, but it takes a seriously ballsy guy to THROW FROM THE ONE YARD LINE WITH A REPEAT TITLE IN THE FUCKING BAG.  All you have to do, is RUN THE BALL.  Doesn't matter how you do it, FB Dive, HB [Insert Terminology Of Choice Here], QB Over The Top, Under The Center, Who Gives A Shit.  Bottom line, THE BALL HAD NO BUSINESS LEAVING THE GROUND IN ANY FORM OR FASHION UNLESS IT WAS GOING FROM THE WILSON'S HANDS INTO THE BODY OF MARSHAWN LYNCH!!!  This loss will sting Pete way more than the USC loss to Texas did.  In a way, this may cripple their empire before it truly got going.  Games like these, usually do one of two things to you.  They either send you upward or they bring you crashing to the ground.  The last few teams who have lost heartbreaking games of this sort, haven't bounced back from them since.  Atlanta was one play away from reaching the Super Bowl a few years ago.  They've gone in the tank and Mike Smith has since been replaced.  San Fran came close to bringing home another title in the Bro Bowl a few years ago and well...they haven't been the same since.  Jim Harbaugh has since been run back to college thanks to management not liking him.

Seattle now has to deal with a grumpy Lynch who has been poked by the media seemingly all year long and now having to suffer the indignity of not being trusted to get ONE YARD AFTER GETTING FOUR BEFORE THE GAME KILLING INT...how do you return to Seattle after this?  To this end I say, watch out for Buffalo in the Beast Mode Sweepstakes.  Buffalo shouldn't have dealt him away to begin with and with Rex Ryan who never saw a running play he didn't like, do the math.

Tom Brady.  Joe Montana.  Terry Bradshaw.
- In the world we live in, more focus has been put on dumbass numbers that ultimately, don't add up to jackshit.  You've got guys like Drew Brees, A.A. Ron Rodgers, Phillp Rivers and Andrew Luck that are slurped off way more than the likes of Big Ben, Tom Brady & Eli Manning.  Why?  Cause those other guys are in offenses where they throw early and often, basically they are what Kenny Smith what label 'looters in a riot'.  Wanna know what the likes of Drew & A.A. Ron also have in common?  For all their great passing stats...they only have one ring a piece.  Same goes for Employee #18 aka Peyton Manning, Eli's Big Brother that is the Greatest Regular Season Quarterback In Recorded Ever.  Like, I think he averages about 10 wins a year just by his lonesome yet in the playoffs...he's below average.  Like, with this year's punking by the hands of Indianapolis, his record is below .500 for his career.

Terry Bradshaw had the luxury of playing behind, feasibly the greatest defense in NFL history.  The Steel Curtain.  Dominated the 70s.  Know why Bradshaw deserves way more respect than he's given?  Because while the Steel Curtain kept teams from scoring in those Super Bowl wins against the Cowboys, Vikes & Rams respectively...Terry Bradshaw was the guy who ensured that offense ran smoothly.  Know that deep throw that Lynn Swann caught in the late 70s against the Cowboys?  Sure as shit wasn't Mel Blount or Jack Lambert pitching him that rock.  It was Terry.  Terry Bradshaw's stat line likely wouldn't blow your skirt or shorts up, because HE DIDN'T HAVE TO THROW IT ALL THE DAMN TIME!!!  It's called having a balanced offensive attack and having the likes of Franco Harris and Frenchy Fuqua to hand the pill off to.  (Yes, I'm well aware I was born in 1980 and I shouldn't know this much about a team that dominated just before I was born.  Got a problem with it, take it up with my Dad.  He's an avid Steelers fan and probably filled my head with more about them than most any sports related thing I can think of.)

Joe Montana is yet another one, woefully under appreciated for being a cold blooded assassin who unlike his contemporaries Marino & Elway, just got shit done.  Hell, even the guy who they passed the torch to in the early 90s, Steve Young...Mister One Hit Wonder in my book, is spoken of far better than Joe Cool.  All Joe Cool did was win 4 titles in the 80s, win three Super Bowl MVPs in the process and kill the Bengals (twice), Broncos & Dolphins in the Super Bowl.  Oh and that San Fran D during that timeframe, WOEFULLY UNDERRATED.  Joe was disrespected by being dealt to Kansas City so that Steve Young could get his turn behind the wheel.  Steve got one more title out of a team that was built to win a helluva lot more.  Joe went to KC, guided the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game in 93 and got em' back to the playoffs the year after before retiring in 1994.

Tom Brady is the greatest 6th round pick in NFL history.  If not for him crossing paths with the New York Football Giants, Brady would be sitting with his model wife packing a fistful of rings like he was The Mandarin.  Tom Brady picked apart the NFL's best secondary with Julian Edelman and Shane Vereen.  Tom Brady, who hasn't seen a playmaker on the outside since he had Moss does indeed have Gronk (when healthy), beat the NFL's best secondary with a bunch of NOBODIES.  Basically, it was a fleet of 2s & 3s, plus a #1 at TE.  It was "Vintage Brady", if I may go Michael Cole for a second.  No other QB has done more with less in his CAREER than Brady and yet, he gets little to NO respect for it.  Or not as much as the others who have done far less in their careers.

Extra Points
- The Pats will enter next season as the hunted and it feels like Groundhog Day cause now the Spurs of the NFL are back atop the mountain months after San Antonio retook their throne.  The AFC isn't quite as tough as the NFC, which I'll get to in a second.  But unless the Colts get some running help for Luck, the Texans solve that QB issue and the Bengals stop letting the moment overwhelm them...I'm having a difficult time seeing anyone stop the Pats.  If you want a darkhorse to watch out for...keep an eye on the Bills.  Rex Ryan is motivated to stop the Pats and stick it to the Jets, he's likely one good running back and a good QB away from doing so.  (You can get that in an offseason.)
- Seattle's losing opens things up tremendously in the NFC next season.  Sherman's gonna need Tommy John season, which means his next season is a wash.  Jeremy Lane is out.  So we'll see half of the world's most dangerous 90s R & B group, err, secondary.  Sorry, that SI cover threw me a bit.  I don't have a frontrunner in the NFC next season.  There are certain teams I just can't take seriously, because of their offensive make up and the like.  Or the fact that they can't stop anyone (Hi, Gag Bay) or the fact that they're coming off a self inflicted gun shot wound (Hi Seattle).

For the record, Seattle will not go anywhere as long as their braintrust remains intact.  Sherman was a 5th rounder.  Wilson, 3rd rounder.  Most of their key cogs sans Lynch, were taken in the Draft well after you've likely tuned out.  That's when you put a team together.  If you can hit on all those picks after Round 2, coaching is all you need to keep a team in place doing great things.  Seattle LIKELY falls back a smidge next season, but just for next season.  Their drafting will keep them in it for years to come.  Also of note, when you draft well in Rounds 2-7, missing in Round 1 doesn't cripple you like it does most other teams.  As a Giants fan, I'm good knowing Odell Beckham Junior is the new money man opposite of Cruz so Eli has a serious threat to keep secondaries up at night.  But before I sign off, my Top 4 of Coaches and QBs in the NFL.

Top 4 QBs
1) Tom Brady.  Four Super Bowl Championships in roughly 14 years.  No discernible playmaker aside from Gronk this time, won his previous three with a bunch of possession receivers and folks you wouldn't run with in Madden.  Three time Super Bowl MVP.  Puts him with Joe Cool.  Can't refute that.  Four game winning drives in four wins.  Darth Brady, bitches.
2) Eli Manning.  Yeah, I'm aware of the fact that he hasn't been to the playoffs since the 2011 season.  But ya know why he's here?  Cause when he gets to the playoffs, he WINS.  He has been on the road more than he has been at home and I dare say, he's probably better on the road.  2-0 in Lambeau in the postseason.  2-0 against Tom Brady in the Super Bowl.  Eli's the one Manning that Brady is scared shitless of.  Believe that.
3) Big Ben.  His first title was won likely in spite of him when he was young and their ground game carried them big time.  That second title, trust and believe, HE WON THAT ONE.  Game winning drive, drops a beauty in for Santonio Holmes to snatch for the game winner.  Ben had no business going back in to that playoff game this season, but he's definitely one of the best.  Ben & Eli are the best of that vaunted 2005 QB Class.
4) Delaware Joe Flacco.  Of the 'One Hit Wonders', Joe's got my respect.  This guy has ice water in his veins in a legitimate way.  The 'Delaware Joe' thing is something of an homage to Hollywood Hogan, only Joe went to school at Delaware University, so there's that too.  Joe had a bad throw but like Eli, has been a serious pain in Brady's ass and Joe has shown a major propensity for not being fazed by being on the road for the playoffs.

Top 4 Coaches
1) Bill Belichick.  Da Hoodie.  Disciple of former Giants head coach Bill Parcells, I won't even bother with that Spygate bullshit.  He shook off a bad coaching start in Cleveland, went back to coach alongside Bill with the Jets and then, he took over New England.  Won his first title in 2001 cancelling The Greatest Show On Turf and it has been rolling since then.  No other coach has done more with less than this guy.  Yet it's staggering how many coaches have had so much more and been fired or gone since Bill arrived in 2001.
2) Tom Coughlin.  2-0 in the Super Bowl.  He's not done yet and he has managed coaching in the media hotbed of the East Coast better than most in his spot have.  Coughlin's definitely my second favorite NYG coach of all time behind The Tuna, one more title puts him over the top.  He's not done YET.  Drafting Beckham props the window open, now they simply have to retool both lines, especially the defensive line cause without a pass rush...it's moot.  (This can be done in an offseason.)
3) Mike Tomlin.  Omar Epps lookalike jokes aside, the guy can coach.  The Steelers, stay in the hunt and it's because this guy coaches better than most.  He has one ring, knows he should've had two and shouldn't finish with one title when it's all said and done.  Organization behind him is one of the best in the league.
4) John Harbaugh.  As the last remaining Harbaugh, I see him as having the most upside of all the coaches with just one ring on his resume.  Pete would've occupied this spot, but he just had to throw from the 1.  John Harbaugh would've run the damn thing in.  How he managed to keep the Ravens flowing with a patchwork secondary and after the Ray Rice deal, was nothing short of remarkable.

And lastly...

- If EA Sports puts someone from your favorite team on the ballot to be the next Madden cover guy, do what Carolina coach Ron Rivera did...VOTE FOR THE OTHER GUY.  I don't believe in curses, but I'm also failing to see the coincidence behind damn near every single Madden cover guy having some mysterious calamity that times itself just right with the year they appear on it.  To Sherman's credit, he's the only one of the bunch that made it to the Super Bowl.  But the price he paid to get there (Tommy John surgery likely cancels him out for next season) was STEEP.  Before him and excluding last year's cover guy Barry Sanders, you'd be very hard pressed to find anyone who hasn't prospered by being on that cover.  Calvin Johnson didn't do too bad, was healthy and led the league in receiving.  But he didn't make the playoffs the year he did it.  Google 'Madden Curse' and you'll see what's befallen all who appear on that cover.  It's like Death from Final Destination.  It can't be cheated.  Won't be beaten.  By anyone.

Until next time or I feel compelled to blog about something...PEACE.