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51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XLVII

The Super Bowl is just 5 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 5 years ago to honor this not that significant occasion!

New Orleans hosted Super Bowl XLVII on February 3, 2013. The game pitted the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers against the Baltimore Ravens of the American Football Conference.

San Francisco 49ers 5 Years Ago

From 1981 to 1998, there was no more decorated franchise in the NFL than the San Francisco 49ers. But, they fell on hard times as they entered the 21^st century. They bounced back in a big way with the hiring of Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh’s 49ers played tough, physical defense and ball control offense. On offense, Frank Gore out of the University of Miami was the masterpiece.

In 2011, the 49ers great defense helped them get to overtime in the NFC championship game. They were stunned in that game due to a special-teams miscue. The 2012 team got off to another good start, but Harbaugh made a surprising move prior to a week 11 game against Chicago. He switched from Alex Smith to Colin Kaepernick at starting quarterback.

Colin Kaepernick

Kaepernick was mesmerizing to watch. He threw the ball with ferocious velocity and ran like a gazelle in the open field. In his fifth career start, he won at New England 41-34. In his eighth career start and first playoff game, he embarrassed the proud Green Bay Packers 45-31. He passed for 263 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed for 181 yards and 2 more touchdowns including a 56-yarder where he dashed untouched.

In the NFC championship game, the 49ers offense faced its toughest challenge as they fell behind at Atlanta 17-0 early. Matt Ryan torched the Niners defense to the tune of 400 passing yards. Yet, San Francisco kept their poise and stayed in striking distance. Ted Ginn set up the Niners go-ahead score with a 20-yard punt return. Five runs and one pass later, Gore hit the end zone for a 28-24 lead. Atlanta’s final meaningful possession lasted seven minutes but yielded 0 points as Ryan’s fourth down pass from the 10-yard line fell incomplete. The 49ers were back in the Super Bowl for the first time in 18 years!

Baltimore Ravens 5 Years Ago

Like the 49ers, the Ravens lost a heartbreaker in the AFC championship one season earlier. Unlike the 49ers, Baltimore played their stronger ball early in the 2012 season. Led by Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, and several capable receivers, the Ravens started 9-2 including a miraculous win at San Diego. In that game, Rice converted a 4^th and 29!

The Ravens followed that up with a three-game losing streak and dropped to the fourth seed in the AFC. Their defense was affected with an injury to veteran Ray Lewis. Baltimore finished an unremarkable 17^th in team defense and stumbled into the playoffs to play the up-and-coming Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts Rookie Pro Bowler Andrew Luck was throttled, however, by the proud Ravens “D.” Lewis had announced his retirement, so this was his last home game and it was an emotional one. The Ravens buried the Colts 24-9. Veteran Ed Reed, arguably the best safety ever to do it likewise had a big game helping Baltimore to advance.

Road Warriors

Their Divisional round matchup served as this team’s turning point. They were heavy underdogs to Peyton Manning and the Broncos. In his first season with Denver, Manning was not human with his production. But, on this frigid night, the Ravens kept at him despite his hot start. Late in the fourth quarter of his scintillating game, the Ravens faced a third down from their own 30. Flacco launched a ball deep downfield where somehow Jacoby Jones was behind the defense. He scored to tie the game at 35 and send it to overtime. Corey Graham picked off Manning late in the first overtime setting up Baltimore’s game-winning drive in a staggering upset.

In the AFC championship game, the Ravens showed their mettle by frustrating the Patriots time and again in New England. The Patriots were able to take a 13-7 halftime lead, but it could have been more were it not for Baltimore’s excellent red zone defense on this night. Unbelievably, the Patriots did not score in the second half. On offense, Flacco carved up New England with veteran Anquan Boldin scoring twice in the fourth. Baltimore’s 28-13 win sent them off to their second Super Bowl. It was John Harbaugh against Jim Harbaugh in Super Bowl XLVII.

The Lights Go Off

The Ravens continued their hot streak by jumping all over the 49ers. They got off to a solid 14-3 start thanks to a quick strike offense and opportunistic defense. The roof really caved in for San Francisco during a two-minute stretch at the end of the first half and beginning of the second. Jones came back to receive an underthrown bomb and returned the second half’s opening kickoff. The 28-6 appeared to be turn the lights off on the 49ers season.

But, strange things happen in football. Perhaps the strangest incident in Super Bowl history came next as the lights literally were turned off in the Superdome. When the lights came back on, so did the 49ers momentum. They scored 17 points over seven minutes of game time to cut the lead to 28-23 entering the fourth quarter.

The Ravens Hold On

Then, Kaepernick pulled off one of those absurdly easy quarterback sweeps to cut the lead to 31-29. With the score 34-29, the Niners embarked on one last exciting drive into Baltimore’s territory. Kaepernick and Gore took turns making big plays to get San Francisco to the Ravens’ seven-yard line with just one-minute remaining. However, they never reached the promise land. Three consecutive tosses all intended for Michael Crabtree fell incomplete. The Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII thanks to this surprising goal-line stand.

The Ravens have not gotten back to the Promised Land. The 49ers, on the other hand, came back to have a very strong 2013 season but were denied by their archrival Seattle in the NFC championship game.

Kaepernick is now out of football, but for a few seasons, there was no more exciting player in the game. Flacco is still the Ravens’ QB. Will he ever get back to the Super Bowl? We’ll see.

Tomorrow, we will meet the Seahawks amazing “Legion of Boom” defense.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XLVI

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The Super Bowl is just 6 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 6 years ago to honor this not that significant occasion!

Indianapolis hosted Super Bowl XLVI on February 5, 2012. The game pitted the NFC champion New York Giants against the New England Patriots of the American Football Conference. This, of course, was the rematch of probably the most intense of all the Super Bowls, Super Bowl XLII when the Giants prevented the Patriots from going undefeated.

New York Giants 6 Years Ago

The Giants did not have a particularly strong 2011 season, but they did have a breakout defensive star in Jason Pierre-Paul. Joining Pierre-Paul along the line were Chris Canty, Linval Joseph and Justin Tuck. This was a true strength of the team that started the season at 6-2. However, the defense slumped down the stretch to finish 27^th in the NFL.

In week 9, the Giants defeated the Patriots in New England 24-20 on a last-second drive led by Eli Manning. The Giants’ best players on offense were wideouts Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks. Although the Giants went on a 4-game midseason skid, the Cowboys and Eagles could not catch them in the NFC East. Cruz and Nicks played outstanding football in the Giants’ late-season sweep of Dallas that clinched the division.

New York really seemed up against it heading into the playoffs. The Packers had an extraordinary 15-1 season and the top seed. The 49ers and their punishing defense and the Saints and their high-octane offense also had superb regular seasons. And, the Giants finished dead last in running the ball. Nobody had ever made it to the Super Bowl with such difficult odds. But, these were the Giants captained by Tom Coughlin that made history by defeating the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII ending their undefeated season. So, they believed.

Giants Upset Pack & Niners

In the opening round, the Giants outclassed the Falcons, 24-2 in the Wild Card round setting up a clash with the Pack. In the regular season, the amazing Aaron Rodgers helped the Packers come back to win a thriller at the Giants’ MetLife Stadium. This time, Rodgers never had a chance. The Giants looked like the 15-1 squad while the Packers played like a team that barely finished above .500.

Manning found Nicks for an exciting 66 yarder early and on a “Hail Mary” on the last play of the first half. Michael Boley, Chase Blackburn and the wily Osi Umenyiora tormented Rodgers in the second half as New York shocked the football world with a 37-20 victory in Lambeau Field. The Giants had another very challenging matchup ahead of them. The 49ers had knocked off the Saints in an absolute beauty and would host the NFC championship game.

San Francisco jumped ahead, but New York just kept hanging around. They managed to get the game into overtime where it turned into a punt-fest. New York benefited from a blown whistle on a fumble in their own red zone and a fumble by Niners’ punt returner Kyle Williams. The Giants prevailed 20-17 and were on to their 5^th Super Bowl.

New England Patriots 6 Years Ago

The New England Patriots got back to the big game with the second-ranked offense and the second-worse ranked defense. Brady started with a bang collecting 500 yards passing on opening night in Miami. Following that week 9 loss to New York, the Pats finished the season on a 10-game winning streak.

In the Divisional round, Brady was on fire as he threw 6 touchdown passes. Tim Tebow was on the other side for Denver and he completed nine total passes. New England routed the Broncos twice in 2011 by a combined score of 86-33!

Pats Survive Gutsy Ravens

The AFC championship game between New England and the Baltimore Ravens was a completely different beast. Baltimore challenged the Patriots all day. Brady struggled, and the defensive backfield was so depleted, New England was using punt returner Julian Edelman as a cornerback. The lead see-sawed back and forth until Brady snuck in on a 4^th down to put the Patriots ahead 23-20. Then, the fun reached a climax.

The Ravens got the ball back with about two minutes to go and easily moved the ball into field goal range. On a second down, quarterback Joe Flacco fired a perfect throw toward Lee Evans in the end zone. Evans caught it. Then, Sterling Moore swiped it away. After another incompletion, Billy Cundiff came in to attempt a game-tying field goal. He hurried on to the field and missed wide left. The Patriots advanced to their seventh Super Bowl. By the way, nose tackle Vince Wilfork played a game for the ages.

Even First Half

The Patriots did not get off to a great start in the Super Bowl. On their first offensive series, Tom Brady got flagged for grounding in the end zone. The Giants then drove to a Victor Cruz touchdown and a 9-0 lead. The Pats settled down and kicked a field goal early in the second quarter.

The Giants had something brewing in response but received an extremely questionable holding penalty on a third and one. Punter Steve Weatherford came on to punt and pin the Patriots deep. Weatherford, for the record, was outstanding in the most important game of his career.

Brady then embarked on a record-setting streak. Interestingly, this may have been his worst overall performance in a Super Bowl, but for what it is worth, over the course of two drives in the second and third quarters, he connected on 17 straight passes. The first scoring drive came with eight seconds left in the first half. Brady surveyed the field for eternity before firing a dart to Danny Woodhead for the touchdown.

Patriots Drop the Ball

In the second half, Tom connected with Aaron Hernandez. The score was 17-9 for the Patriots midway through the third quarter. It was now the Giants turn to strike back. For NY, the going was slow but steady. Two field goal drives cut the lead to 17-15. Brady also threw an interception on a promising Patriots drive. And, one other crazy thing about this game is the Giants fumbled three times but recovered all of them.

New England moved the ball well again in an effort to put the game away late in the fourth quarter. However, on a second and 11 at around the Giants 40 with four minutes to go, disaster struck. Brady had Wes Welker open in the seam. The pass was slightly high and behind Welker but was definitely catchable. Welker went up for it, got both hands on it and dropped it. On third down, Deion Branch missed what would have been a first down over the middle.

Manning to Manningham

New England punted. Then, Manning hit his third wide receiver Mario Manningham on a gorgeous throw and catch along the sidelines. New York drove into field goal range. So, Bill Belichick advised his team to let New York score. Ahmad Bradshaw endeavored to stop short of the goal-line but accidentally fell into the end zone for the 21-17 lead. Subsequently, the Patriots desperate last drive failed. They dropped a few more passes, converted a fourth and 20 and missed on two bombs. The Giants were champions for the fourth time.

New England would be back at it three years later while the Giants have fallen on some down times. They will always have the distinction of beating the dynasty Patriots not once, but twice in Super Bowl action.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_bills

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XLV

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The Super Bowl is just 7 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 7 years ago to honor this not that significant occasion!

Dallas hosted Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011. The game pitted the NFC champion Green Bay Packers against the Pittsburgh Steelers of the American Football Conference.

Green Bay Packers 7 Years Ago

The Packers underachieved during the regular season, then overachieved in the postseason to win the franchise’s fourth World Championship. They were led by breakout star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers was in his third season as starter as he patiently waited for the great Brett Favre to depart. The 2010 Packers had a good offense with four receivers with at least 45 receptions. But, defense was the strength of this ball club.

Three defensive backs were selected for the Pro Bowl including longtime great CB Charles Woodson. Second-year linebacker Clay Matthews earned first-team All Pro honors. Even as the Packers struggled during the midseason, Matthews was outstanding against the run and pass. Incredibly, the Packers never trailed by more than seven points for the duration of the 2010 season. They could not even duplicate that feat during their 15-1 2011 season.

The Packers were in must-win mode in the season finale against the arch-rival Chicago Bears. Chicago had already clinched but had the opportunity to keep Green Bay out of the playoffs. The Bears defense did their job, but not their offense. Green Bay shut down Chicago 10-3 in a game that would foreshadow things to come in the NFC.

Sensational Six Seed

In the playoffs, Green Bay came in with high expectations despite their being the sixth seed. The Pack snuck past Mike Vick and the Eagles in the opening round as Mike Vick was intercepted by Tramon Williams in the end zone late in the fourth quarter.

Green Bay was beyond fantastic in their second-round matchup against top-seeded Atlanta. Rodgers was next to perfect and Williams made the play of the game again when he took a Matt Ryan pass to the house on the last play of the first half. The Pack humbled the Falcons 48-21.

In the NFC championship game, it was Green Bay’s old friend and NFC North Champion Bears in the way. When Bears quarterback Jay Cutler got knocked out of the game, they went with veteran Todd Collins. Collins played so poorly, Lovie Smith resorted to third-stringer Caleb Haney. Late in the fourth, Chicago trailed 14-7 and had the ball deep in their own end. Haney was picked by giant B.J.Raji of all people who rumbled in for a dramatic touchdown. Green Bay was on their way to Super Bowl XLV.

Pittsburgh Steelers 7 Years Ago

It was another season in Pittsburgh and another Super Bowl appearance and another #1-rating for their defense. Things did not come to the Steelers the easy way in 2010, though. They started the season with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger serving a suspension for accusations surrounding sexual assault. They weathered the storm with a 3-1 record thanks to their top-rated defense and the Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu.

Later in the campaign, the Patriots and the Jets battled for top seed in the AFC and both teams defeated the Steelers in Pittsburgh. But, the Steelers survived a brutal battle at Baltimore squeaking out a dramatic 13-10 victory. Pittsburgh’s top receiver was speedster Mike Wallace and their top running back was newcomer Rashard Mendenhall. Along with tight end Heath Miller and veterans Hines Ward and Antwaan Randle El, Roethlisberger had a strong second half of the season.

Tough Home Wins

In a terrific Divisional round game against the Ravens, Pittsburgh’s defense struggled in the first half. The Steelers came back to outscore Baltimore 24-3 in the second half. Two rookie receivers made the big plays in this one. Antonio Brown had a 58-yarder and Emmanuel Sanders caught 4 balls for 54 yards. The Steelers embarrassed the Ravens’ vaunted defense. Pittsburgh received a huge gift the next day when the Jets upset the Patriots in New England the next day. That meant the Steelers would have the opportunity to host the Championship game.

Pittsburgh’s defense jumped on the Jets early and often. James Harrison and William Gay among others punished Mark Sanchez and the upstart Jets to the tune of a 24-0 lead. Rex Ryan’s feisty team battled back to get within five late in the ball game. The Steelers did not sit on the lead and converted two first downs to put the ball game away including a third and six from Roethlisberger to Brown. The Steelers were on their way to their eighth Super Bowl! At just 38 years of age, Mike Tomlin was already coaching in his second.

Packers Hold On

On their second drive, the Packers drove for a Jordy Nelson touchdown. On the next play from scrimmage, Green Bay increased their lead to 14-0 when Nick Collins returned an underthrown Roethlisberger pass for a score. Each team score a touchdown before halftime. So, the Pack went to the locker room up 21-10.

The Steelers scored first in the second half on a five-play run-only drive. Rodgers and Roethlisberger each responded with excellent touchdown drives against tough defenses. The Packers led 28-25 with less than seven minutes to go. Rogers converted a third and ten early in the next drive and they moved all the way inside the Steelers 10-yard line.

To their credit, Pittsburgh held the Packers to a field goal with 2:07 left on the clock. However, Green Bay held tough after allowing only one first down on Pittsburgh’s final possession. The Lombardi Trophy was heading home to Green Bay.

Both Mike McCarthy’s Packers and Tomlin’s Steelers are good every season. Incredibly, though, neither team has made it back to the Super Bowl since that game at the end of the 2010 season.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XLIV

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The Super Bowl is just 8 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 8 years ago to honor this not-so-significant occasion!

South Florida hosted Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010. The game pitted the NFC champion New Orleans Saints against the Indianapolis Colts of the American Football Conference. Peyton Manning was going up against his father Archie’s old team.

New Orleans Saints 8 Years Ago

New Orleans had come up from the dregs of professional football. It took them a ridiculous thirty-four seasons to win a single playoff game. After a hurricane battered their city in 2005, they had a dreadful season. That opened the door to the acquisition of Head Coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees. That combo helped the Saints win their second playoff game in 2006.

In 2009, expectations were quite high. They were jam-packed at wide receiver, but nobody was better than Marques Colston. With running backs Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush and veteran tight end Jeremy Shockey, Drew Brees had a host of weapons at his disposal. Thus, he passed for 4, 388 yards and led the Saints to a 13-0 start. They took their foot off the gas as they clinched everything at the end of the regular season.

In the playoffs, Brees was his usual dynamite self in a 45-14 win over the defending-conference champion Cardinals. The win set up a wonderful matchup between the Saints and Minnesota Vikings. The Vikes were led by ancient Brett Favre and all-world Adrian Peterson.

Battle for NFC Title

The game was as see-saw a battle as there has ever been. The Vikings were as capable of making a big play on offense as they were of coughing up the ball with a momentum-changing turnover. Minnesota outgained the Saints, 475-257, but were -4 in turnover differential. The Saints’ defense was hitting Minnesota players especially Favre with tremendous ferocity throughout the game.

Brees was calm under fire as he tossed three touchdown passes and 0 interceptions. With the score tied at 28, the Vikings found themselves in great field position with an opportunity to kick a potential game-winning in regulation. However, the veteran gunslinger made a critical mistake as he threw across his body toward the middle of the field where Saints’ cornerback Tracy Porter stole the trophy.

In overtime, the Saints drove the field on the first possession for a game-winning field goal by Garrett Hartley. The Saints were off to their first Super Bowl in franchise history!

Indianapolis Colts 8 Years Ago

Their opponents would be Jim Caldwell and the Indianapolis Colts. The ’09 Colts started the season 14-0 led by the amazing Peyton Manning. Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne both caught 100 passes and exceeded 1000 receiving yards for the season. And, on defense, Dwight Freeney was a first-team All-Pro recording 13.5 sacks in just nine starts.

Caldwell controversially sat many of his main guys over the last two games costing them the chance to go undefeated. In the playoffs, the Colts held off challenges by the Ravens and Jets to make it back to their second Super Bowl in four seasons.

Colts Early Lead

Ronald Martinez

Indy controlled the first quarter converting three third downs en route to a 10-0 lead. Young Pierre Garcon was the recipient of a gorgous Manning lob for the first touchdown of the game. The Saints responded with a good second quarter. The unsung Hartley connected on two long field goals to cut the lead to 10-6 at the half.

Payton rolled the dice with an onside kick to open the second half and it worked. The Saints made the gamble pay off with a perfect screen play to Thomas. The Colts would not go away, however. Manning led them right back on a scoring drive that included two more third down conversions. Joseph Addai scored the go-ahead touchdown. Hartley responded with another long field goal.

Saints Get the Lombardi

In the fourth quarter, the Colts drove to the Saints 34 and decided to go for a field goal. Adam Vinatieri was out with an injury. Veteran Matt Stover missed setting up New Orleans with great field possession and they took advantage. The Saints regained the lead on a short scoring strike from Brees to Shockey. They added a 2-point conversion and led 24-17 late in the fourth.

The Colts moved the ball well again. However, on this third down, Manning and Wayne seemed to be on different pages. Porter jumped the route and took the interception to the house. The Saints won Super Bowl XLIV 31-17 setting off a party on Bourbon Street like never before!

Neither the Colts nor the Saints have aspired to such lofty heights since. But, in 2009, they gave football fans a great game. Tomorrow, we’ll discuss how the Green Bay Packers brought the Lombardi Trophy home!

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

Ten Fun Super Bowl Facts to Get You Fired Up

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When I hosted a sports talk radio program on my college radio station at Buffalo State College, my on air name was “Dr. Super Bowl” due to my intense love of Super Bowl history. For me, this is the most wonderful time of the year. You can have your shopping days until Christmas, I’ll take the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. I have lost many close friends and have driven several family members to tears of boredom dropping mad Super Bowl trivia on their unsuspecting souls. However, you the true sports fan will appreciate these mind-numbing fun facts about the greatest event in the history of the world.

Wear the White Jersey

It is the new rage for the home team to select the white road jersey. AFC teams are designated as the home team for even-numbered Super Bowls such as this fifty-second edition of the big game. The New England Patriots wore their blue jersey for every home game since a 2011 clash with the Dallas Cowboys. Bill Belichick no doubt made that choice because of the old superstition that the Cowboys always lose big games in their blue. Additionally, the Patriots have been the home team in five of their nine Super Bowl appearances. Each time, they wore their home jersey. Each time they were the “road” team, they wore white. Why the change this season?

Teams wearing white have won twelve of the last thirteen Super Bowls. The Green Bay Packers were the lone exception with their 2011 Super Bowl victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the old days, teams did not have a choice. The home team was required to wear the dark jersey. Thus, we were robbed of what would have been a gorgeous match-up in the Orange Bowl for the 1971 Super Bowl between the Cowboys and Baltimore Colts as Dallas was forced to wear the blue instead of their famous “whites”. Dallas was the first home team to wear the white jersey doing it in the epic 1979 Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team that has worn the white is 33-18 all-time.

Minnesota, Here We Come

This season marks the second time the Super Bowl has been played in the land of 10,000 lakes. The 1992 Super Bowl between the Washington Redskins and Buffalo Bills took place in Minnesota’s Metrodome. Like this season, that game featured the top seeds from each conference. Buffalo came in as the defending AFC champion losing the year before to the Giants by a single point. The Redskins were the dominant NFC team that season and crushed their two playoff opponents en route to the Super Bowl. Washington led by journeyman Mark Rypien walloped Buffalo physically and on the scoreboard. Safety Brad Edwards had a monster game that has largely been forgotten. The 37-24 score does not do justice to this one-sided affair.

Gronk’s Super Bowl Story

Like most things pertaining to Gronk, his Super Bowl appearances have been unusual. This will be the fourth time New England has played in the big game since Gronkowski arrived on the scene in 2010. In the 2012 Super Bowl against the New York Giants, he played on a sprained ankle. Therefore, Brady targeted Aaron Hernandez much more in the passing attack. Three seasons later, Gronkowski was virtually unstoppable in the thrilling win over the Seattle Seahawks. He scored a second quarter touchdown when single-covered by a linebacker. On the go-ahead scoring drive, he made two huge receptions. Last season, the Patriots won the Super Bowl without Gronkowski in the lineup. Due to his concussion in the AFC Championship game, his status is still unclear for the Super Bowl.

I Love the 80’s

The Eagles and Patriots each played in one Super Bowl during the decade of my youth. The irreplaceable Dick Vermeil coached the 1980 Eagles to their first championship in 20 years. They were awesome on defense on diverse on offense as they built their game plan around quarterback Ron Jaworski, talented running back Wilbert Montgomery and the giant wide receiver Harold Carmichael. Unfortunately, they were flat and nervous come Super Bowl Sunday as the Oakland Raiders flattened them 27-10. Jaworski was picked off three times by Rod Martin. His counterpart veteran Jim Plunkett was on his game throwing three touchdown passes and winning the MVP.

The Patriots Super Bowl appearance following the 1985 season was a train wreck of catastrophic proportions. They got absolutely steamrolled by the historic Mike Ditka-coached Chicago Bears. The Patriots can take solace in the fact that they were the first team to make the Super Bowl after winning three road playoff games. Incredibly, in each of those games, they were +4 in turnover differential including their shocking AFC championship conquest in Miami over the Dolphins.

JT is the Man

Timberlake returns for a third time to provide Super Bowl halftime entertainment. His 2001 performance alongside Aerosmith, *NSYNC and Britney Spears was way better than the game itself between the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants. The same cannot be said of his controversial appearance at the 2004 Super Bowl when he assisted Janet Jackson with a wardrobe malfunction. That game between the Patriots and Carolina Panthers was superb. A youthful Tom Brady was heroic in leading his team to a last-second win.

Giants Assistant Bill Belichick

Belichick is the head coach for a Super Bowl for an NFL-record eighth time. However, he also coached in the big game as the defensive coordinator of the Giants in the 1987 and 1991 Super Bowls. His 1986 Giants were a historically-good unit featuring the legendary Lawrence Taylor. They punished John Elway in a 39-20 win in Pasadena. On the other hand, his 1990 team were massive underdogs against the high-powered Bills led by Jim Kelly. The Bills had come off a 51-3 dismantling of the Los Angeles Raiders in the AFC championship game. The Giants squeaked by Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers.

The Niners had a good offense that season while Buffalo was incredible. Belichick devised a scheme where he played just two down linemen daring the Bills to run. When they Bills did run the ball to all-world Thurman Thomas, they gained yards. However, Belichick knew Kelly’s gunslinging mentality would not allow him to hand the ball off all night. New York’s defense did just enough to hold Buffalo to seventeen offensive points and a missed field goal at the buzzer. Belichick’s one other Super Bowl did not go well when Green Bay topped the Patriots in 1997. He served that team as defensive backs coach. Therefore, coach Belichick’s overall Super Bowl record is a respectable 7-3.

Bills Backup Frank Reich

Anyone who paid attention to the Eagles two playoff games has to applaud the efforts of offensive coordinator Frank Reich. I am not just bragging on him because I watched him play numerous times in Buffalo as a kid. He truly has done an excellent job helping Philadelphia get to the Super Bowl with backup quarterback Nick Foles.

Against the Atlanta Falcons, Reich trusted his running game between the tackles and short passing game. The Eagles did not score a lot, but they possessed the ball the majority of the second half. That ball control led to the narrow victory over the Falcons. Against the Minnesota Vikings, Reich won the game on third down. All season long, the Vikings had the ability to get teams off the field on third. Thanks to Reich’s tremendous game plan, the Vikings did not come close to resembling the team in the regular season as they could not stop tight end Zach Ertz whatsoever.

Reich was a member of the Bills when they played in four consecutive Super Bowls in the early 1990’s. He got into the game on two occasions. In the 1992 Super Bowl against the Redskins, he came in for some garbage time late in the fourth. Under the current concussion protocol system, he probably would have gotten in sooner because Kelly got his bell rung early and often by Richie Pettibon’s bone-crushing defense. In the 1993 Super Bowl against the Cowboys, Reich relieved Kelly in the second quarter after the Bills starter injured his knee. Reich had engineered two playoff wins that season including the greatest comeback in NFL history in the Wild Card game. On this day, the Cowboys lightning-fast defense proved way too good for Reich and the Bills. He committed an embarrassing five turnovers in the 52-17 loss.

February 4th

February 4th will be the date of the Super Bowl for just the second time. Eleven years ago, the Indianapolis Colts claimed the city’s first and only Super Bowl championship by defeating the Chicago Bears 29-17. The incomparable Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff for a dramatic touchdown for the Bears. In a steady downpour, Manning was not at his best in this game, but he was good enough especially on third down. The Colts transformed a 14-6 deficit into a 22-14 lead.

Late in the third, Chicago kicked a field goal to cut lead to five. Then, Kelvin Hayden made the play of his life. He intercepted Rex Grossman and raced fifty-six yards on the soggy turf for the score and a 29-17 victory. This was not a marvelous Super Bowl by any standards. However, it was a marvelous accomplishment for Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning on February 4th, 2007.

Don’t Lose My Number

If Nick Foles guides the Eagles to a Super Bowl championship, he will join Drew Brees and Jim McMahon as the only quarterbacks to win it wearing the jersey #9. McMahon had an amazing personality and he was a good player and all, but honestly, the Bears could have won that game with Mike Ditka himself at quarterback. On the other hand, Brees was the New Orleans Saints absolute best player when they conquered the Colts in the 2010 Super Bowl.

Tom Brady’s five Super Bowl titles are among 16 championships by quarterbacks wearing the #12 jersey. Terry Bradshaw of the Steelers was 4-0 in the 1970’s. His first two Super Bowls came as a result of their running game and incomparable Steel Curtain defense. However, he won consecutive Super Bowl MVP awards in Super Bowl XIII and Super Bowl XIV. Also, in the 1970’s, Roger Staubach and Bob Griese won two championships wearing #12. Joe Namath, Ken Stabler and Aaron Rodgers captured the other three titles adorning football’s most popular number.

40 is the New 30

Tom Brady will be the sixth person in NFL history to play in a Super Bowl over the age of 40. For that reason alone, I cheer for the guy! He joins two placekickers, two punters and the greatest wide receiver ever created, Jerry Rice. Brady is a unique individual in that he is playing as good now as he did when he was 30. Mark Brunell and Earl Morrall dressed for the Super Bowl at 39 but were well past their prime in their backup role. Carolina’s defense overwhelmed 39-year old Peyton Manning in Super Bowl 50. His best days were behind him. Yet, with Brady, he is not just the oldest player in the NFL, he is the greatest player in the NFL.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XLIII

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The Super Bowl is just 9 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 9 years ago to honor this not-so-significant occasion!

Tampa hosted Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009. The game pitted the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals against the Pittsburgh Steelers of the American Football Conference. Arizona was brand new to this stage while Pittsburgh was going for an NFL record sixth Super Bowl championship!

Arizona Cardinals 9 Years Ago

Former Steelers’ assistant Ken Whisenhunt was the head coach of the overachieving Cardinals. They had a solid offense featuring veterans Kurt Warner at quarterback and Edgerrin James at running back. They had two excellent young wide receivers, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

The Cardinals had the worst history of any of the longtime franchises of the NFL. They had not even hosted a playoff game since 1947! The Cards got off to a solid start in ’08, but faltered down the stretch. Fortunately, they played in a weak division. But, nobody could have picked the Cardinals to make the Super Bowl especially after their embarrassing 47-7 loss to the Patriots at the end of the regular season.

Fitz Breaks Out

In the Wild Card round, Arizona bested Atlanta due to some huge plays by Boldin and Fitzgerald. Warner launched passes to Fitzgerald whether he was covered or not. Fitz responded with perhaps the greatest stretch of games a receiver has ever put together. He was awesome.

The trend continued in the Divisional round as the Cardinals stunned the 12-4 Panthers. Fitzgerald had 8 receptions for 166 yards. The next day, the Eagles upset the Giants which meant the 4th-seeded Cardinals would host the 6th-seeded Eagles.

Arizona exploded in the first half. They led 24-6 at the break as Fitzgerald scored three more touchdowns. However, the game Eagles fought back to take the lead 25-24 in the fourth. Kurt Warner put his team on his back for a thrilling go-head scoring drive. Tim Hightower scored the winning touchdown setting off a crazy celebration in the desert. The unbelievable Kurt Warner was headed back to his third Super Bowl as the Cardinals shocked the football world!

Pittsburgh Steelers 9 Years Ago

The Steelers were in the mix all season long. Dick LeBeau’s defense finished #1 across the board. The Steelers had two first-team All-Pros in Troy Polamalu and James Harrison. On offense, wide receiver Hines Ward had another excellent season.

Pittsburgh claimed two exciting home victories in the playoffs over the Chargers and Ravens. The AFC championship win over Baltimore was a nail-biter between the two best defenses in football. Harrison, Polamalu, Ed Reed and Ray Lewis in one game is about as good as defensive football gets. Polamalu snatched the game-clinching interception that caused Heinz Field to go ballistic. Mike Tomlin’s Steelers were off to the Super Bowl.

Harrison’s Miraculous TD

Al Bello

Arizona’s red-hot offense against Pittsburgh’s rock solid defense was a dream battle. Bruce Arians’ Steelers’ offense got off to the better start, however, as they went up 10-0 on two productive drives. The Cards answered with a huge catch and run by Boldin. One play later, Ben Patrick scored to cut the lead to 10-7. Arizona then got a late 2nd quarter interception to set them up to take the lead late in the half. That is when this game got straight up nuts.

The Cardinals had the ball on the two-yard line with 18 seconds left and no timeouts. Warner took the shotgun snap and fired a pass over the middle. Pittsburgh showed a blitz look, but at the last moment, Harrison dropped into coverage, picked off the pass at the goal-line and began his long trek the other way. Red and white jerseys fell all over the place as Harrison scooted along the near sideline. He just kept going! Finally, he was dragged down from behind by two hustling Cardinals’ wideouts as he hit the pylon. It was ruled a touchdown and remarkably, Pittsburgh took a 17-7 halftime lead. It has to go down as one of the greatest plays in football history.

Santonio for the Win

Arizona bounced back in the second half as Fitzgerald was all over the place. Warner completed passes at will against the highly rated Steelers’ defense. He ended up passing for 377 yards on this night. With just three minutes left, the Cardinals trailed by the score of 20-16. Then, Warner connected with Fitz over the middle on a 2nd and 10 from their own 36 and he was gone. He exploded past Harrison and Polamalu looking up at the big screen as he crossed the goal-line. It was the greatest moment in Cardinals’ history. Unfortunately for Arizona, Big Ben Roethlisberger had one more possession.

Steelers’ receiver Santonio Holmes had the possession of his life. He made 4 receptions for 73 yards, the last of which was a sensational grab in the back corner of the end zone. The throw, the coverage, the catch…it was a magical play.

The Cardinals’ last effort ended in misery. LaMarr Woodley strip-sacked Warner. Pittsburgh had won their sixth World Championship in a Super Bowl for the ages!

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XLII

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The Super Bowl is just 10 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 10 years ago to honor this not-so-significant occasion!

Glendale, Arizona hosted Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008. The game pitted the NFC champion New York Giants against the New England Patriots of the American Football Conference.

New England Patriots 10 Years Ago

Keith Nordstrom

Simply put, the 2007 Patriots are one of the most famous teams in NFL history. Their story starts at the end of 2006 when their stable of no-name wideouts was criticized for struggling in the AFC championship game. Thus, the Pats acquired Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Dante Stallworth to add firepower to their offense. They also added Pro Bowler Adalius Thomas to an already strong defense.

A funny thing happened in their Week One destruction of the New York Jets. The Patriots were caught “spying” on Jets’ signal callers. While videotaping in of itself was not illegal, the manner with which Bill Belichick did it was called out by Commissioner Roger Goodell as inappropriate. Indeed, all owners and coaches were warned of what they could and what they could not do. Belichick was slapped with the stiffest fine for such “gamesmanship” in NFL history.

Greatest Regular Season Ever

Al Bello

Belichick seemingly took his frustration over this situation out on the rest of the league. New England did not just win games in 2007. They pulverized their opponents like nothing ever seen. Quarterback Tom Brady played at an obscene level of greatness. Randy Moss was unstoppable, and Wes Welker was a revelation at slot receiver. The Patriots shattered offensive records left and right.

In the final game of the regular season, they put their undefeated streak on the line against the Giants. The G-men were locked in at a Wild Card spot and had nothing to play for. However, they did not rest their guys and gave the Patriots everything they could not want. In the end, Brady hit Moss for one of the most dramatic regular season touchdowns ever seen. The Pats won the ball game, but the Giants with their fight and resilience made a statement.

In the playoffs, Brady was on fire in a 31-20 victory over Jacksonville. He did not play well the following week against the Chargers. But, New England was the vastly superior team and prevailed 21-12 to earn the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl appearance.

New York Giants 10 Years Ago

Donald Miralle

While the Patriots dominated the ’07 season, the Giants flew under the radar. They started the season 0-2 losing to the two best NFC teams of the regular season: The Cowboys and Packers. They responded with a six-game winning streak behind the much-improved play of fourth-year quarterback Eli Manning and bulky runner Brandon Jacobs.

The Giants were mediocre down the stretch finishing 10-6 after their loss to the Pats. They did, however, have one major strength: pass rush. Michael Strahan and reserve Justin Tuck combined for nineteen sacks on the season. Their best player on defense, though, was Osi Umenyiora. He made the Pro Bowl thanks to his thirteen sacks, forty tackles, two fumble recoveries and one touchdown.

Clutch Manning

In the playoffs, Tom Coughlin’s team won rather handily in the Wild Card game over Tampa Bay. The win earned them a trip to Dallas to face the top-seeded Cowboys. The Cowboys lacked discipline on the big stage, committing eleven penalties. So, despite outgaining New York by 100 yards, Dallas found themselves in a dogfight. The Giants did not have many opportunities to score. But, their red zone trips resulted in 21 points. Tony Romo’s last ditch pass intended for Terry Glenn was off the mark. Hence, the Giants escaped with an improbable 21-17 victory.

In one of the coldest games in NFL history, the Giants played very well in Green Bay. They dominated in time of possession and controlled the second half. However, kicker Lawrence Tynes missed two kicks that could have won the game in regulation for New York. Brett Favre threw an interception early in overtime. This time, Tynes nailed the winner from forty-seven yards out. Red-faced from the extreme conditions, Tom Coughlin ran to the locker room with joy. Super Bowl XLII would be the New York Giants against the undefeated New England Patriots.

Defensive Stalemate

The Giants took the opening possession down the field and settled for a field goal. The Patriots answered by taking their opening drive all the way for a touchdown thanks to a DPI in the end zone against tight end Ben Watson. The score was 7-3 at that point and it remained that way for about two hours!

New England came closest to scoring in the third quarter. But, when faced with a fourth and thirteen at the thirty-one, Belichick decided to go for it instead of trying the field goal. Finally, in the fourth quarter, the Giants moved the ball. First, Manning found tight end Kevin Boss for a 45-yard gain. Then, on a 2^nd and 3 from the five, he hit David Tyree for the go-ahead touchdown. It was Tyree’s seventh catch of the entire season.

The Patriots responded by driving the length of the field with Brady going to Welker and Kevin Faulk for big gainers. On a third and goal from the ten, Brady threw a dart to a single-covered Moss for the go-ahead score. It was 14-10 Patriots with 2:35 remaining.

Helmet Catch

The Giants launched a drive for the ages. They converted a fourth and inches from their own 29. Next, Asante Samuel barely missed picking off Manning along the sideline when the Giants had some miscommunication. Then, Manning miraculously escaped pressure and lobbed one for Tyree who made his eighth catch of the season by pinning the ball to his helmet. Rodney Harrison unsuccessfully tried to dislodge the ball from Tyree’s grip.

The Giants converted a 3^rd and 11 to Steve Smith followed by the go-ahead touchdown from Manning to Plaxico Burress from the thirteen. Ellis Hobbs was isolated in coverage on Burress. Manning threw a perfect pass and the Giants took the lead. The Patriots almost completed a “Hail Mary” on their final possession, but it harmlessly fell from Randy’s grasp. The Giants won their third Super Bowl and denied New England’s place in the annals of sports history.

The Giants and Patriots would meet again in Super Bowl XLVI four years later. These would be the two most difficult losses of the Belichick/Brady era. On the other hand, these wins cemented Tom Coughlin’s place as a great coach and proved Eli Manning could beat anybody in the clutch.

Tomorrow, we’ll discuss another wonderful Super Bowl game between the Steelers and Cardinals.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

The Least Deserving Pro Bowlers of 2017-18 Season

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Every season when a Pro Bowl roster is announced, we get inundated with material about who got snubbed. Fan bases and game analysts go bonkers about how certain players were unfairly left out. Truthfully, if every alleged snub received an invitation to the Pro Bowl, there would be about one hundred players per roster. There has to be a line drawn somewhere. Therefore, for someone to have actually been snubbed, somebody made the team that did not deserve the honor. Here are the top ten who least deserved to be named 2017 Pro Bowlers.

Top Five Least Deserving AFC Pro Bowlers

Quarterback Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers

Rivers finished second in the league in passing yardage and helped the Chargers finish 2017 with a winning record after 0-4 start. However, Alex Smith should be the AFC’s third-string quarterback. Smith threw fewer interceptions all year than Rivers threw in two games against the Kansas City Chiefs. Likewise, Smith was the best player in the NFL in September and finished 2017 with a ridiculous 118.0 road passer rating. Rivers was good but Smith was better. The voters got this one wrong.

Wide Receiver A.J.Green, Cincinnati Bengals

This was the closest competition in the AFC. Green had a fine season as he made some big plays and beautiful catches. The only reason he did not deserve this selection is because he took the spot away from Jarvis Landry of the Miami Dolphins. Landry led the entire NFL in receptions and in a down season for the Dolphins, he competed hard on every play of every game. Landry is the quintessential guy you love to have on your team and hate as an opponent. It would be great to see Landry catch passes from an elite quarterback someday.

Special Teams Matthew Slater, New England Patriots

Slater is one of the top five special teamers to ever play in the NFL. Still, there is no way he deserved the Pro Bowl nod for his injury-plagued 2017 campaign. There were two very strong candidates for that honor. Brynden Trawick of the Tennessee Titans is the highest paid special teamer in the NFL and he is fantastic. Due to Slater going to the Super Bowl, Trawick will be playing on Sunday in the Pro Bowl. Michael Thomas of the Miami Dolphins may have been better than both in 2017. In fact, Pro Football Focus named Thomas as their Special Teams Player of the Year.

Center Rodney Hudson, Oakland Raiders

Hudson is a very nice player. Jack Del Rio referred to him as the “staple holding this thing together” when describing what he means to the Raiders. Oakland’s offense struggled so rewarding them with offensive linemen in the Pro Bowl makes little sense. Hudson’s 2017 was not in the same category as Patriots center David Andrews. Over the season, when New England passed almost 600 times, Andrews allowed two sacks. Whenever he is in pass protection, he bears the additional weight of guarding for arguably the best and most popular player in sports history. In addition to his fine work as a pass blocker, he paved the way for Dion Lewis and the running game. The Patriots love to run up the middle and that is where Andrews does his best work.

Guard Richie Incognito, Buffalo Bills

Incognito made the Pro Bowl because his name is instantly recognizable from a list of people playing the least glamorous position. Make no mistake, Incognito is an above-average football player. He is not a Pro Bowler, though. The Bills offense finished twenty-ninth in the NFL. Tyrod Taylor and LeSean McCoy were hit the backfield multiple times in every ball game except one. Joel Bitonio of the lowly Cleveland Browns deserved this spot. He was the most consistent offensive player for the Brown in 2017. Someday, Cleveland will field a relevant team again and Bitonio will be a key member of their improved squad.

Top Five Least Deserving NFC Pro Bowlers

Running Back Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

Of all the players in the 2018 Pro Bowl game, Kamara deserves to be here the least. Granted, he is an amazing talent. He has rare abilities in the mold of a Marshall Faulk or Thurman Thomas. There is simply no way he should be in the Pro Bowl ahead of Jordan Howard of the Chicago Bears. It is likely Kamara got in ahead of Howard because Kamara makes camera-friendly plays week in and week out. Also, it could be that Howard plays for a mediocre Chicago team. While Kamara does not deserve to be in the Pro Bowl, it will entertaining to watch him play in the Pro Bowl!

Center Alex Mack, Atlanta Falcons

Mack is the heart and soul of the Atlanta Falcons and he is an outstanding football player. Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles, though, is the best center in the NFL and had perhaps the best season of any offensive linemen in the whole league. This was an egregious oversight by the voters. Kelce rightfully was named first-team All-Pro.

Tackle Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys

Smith’s play suffered due to injuries in 2017. When healthy, he is unquestionably the best. If the 2018 Cowboys get a full season out of Smith and Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys will be right back in the NFC East mix. He certainly did not deserve this Pro Bowl spot ahead of David Bakhtari of the Green Bay Packers. Bakhtari is one of the most unsung players in the league. Without Aaron Rodgers and any semblance of a running game most of the season, Bakhtari showed up in a massive way for the overachieving Packers.

Linebacker Anthony Barr, Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings had a tremendous regular season on defense. Thus, the voters rewarded certain individuals due to the team success. Barr no doubt contributed to Minnesota’s accomplishments, but there were definitely people who belonged in the Pro Bowl ahead of him. Tajir Whitehead of the Detroit Lions and Robert Quinn of the Los Angeles Rams both had better statistical seasons than Barr. Even K.J.Wright of the Seattle Seahawks or Preston Smith of the Washington Redskins could have been considered. It could be that voters went with the eye test. Barr’s hit that knocked Rodgers out for the season was replayed over and over again. Whitehead did not have a signature hit or play in 2017 so he flew under the radar while Barr was constantly in front of our faces.

Safety Malcolm Jenkins, Philadelphia Eagles

Jenkins is a super football player. Harrison Smith is the best at what they do, though. Like Green for the AFC, Jenkins does not deserve to be in the Pro Bowl only because there is someone out there that had a better season at the same position. Again, Smith was rightfully named first-team All-Pro. Jenkins deserves to play in the only Bowl game that matters: the Super Bowl!

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XLI

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The Super Bowl is just 11 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 11 years ago to honor this not-so-significant occasion!

South Florida hosted Super Bowl XLI on February 4, 2007. The game pitted the NFC champion Chicago Bears against the Indianapolis Colts of the American Football Conference.

Chicago Bears 11 Years Ago

The 2006 Chicago Bears were coached by Lovie Smith. Smith in his third year completed his rebuild project with an outstanding 13-2 record in meaningful games. The offense was 2^ndin points scored and 3^rd in points allowed. Rookie Devin Hester returned three punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns and placekicker Robbie Gould was the best in the NFL.

The Bears blew out several opponents during the regular season, but it was an incredible comeback win that stood out. It was a Monday Night game in Arizona. The mediocre Cardinals jumped in front 23-3 before Chicago led by Hester stormed back. After the game, Cardinals’ coach Dennis Green was in no mood to salute the Bears. Rather, he exclaimed about the Bears, “They are what we what thought they are, but we let them off the hook! If you want to crown them, crown [them.]”

Green’s viewpoint was shared by many. Unheralded QB Rex Grossman, RB Thomas Jones and WR Bernard Berrian were the key players on the offense. The Bears were thought of as strong on defense only. Sure enough, they had four Pro Bowlers including first-team All-Pro Brian Urlacher.

Grossman Does the Job

In their first playoff game, they were put to the test by the defending NFC champion Seahawks. Grossman and the offense were on point in a 27-24 comeback win. Gould tied in the game with four minutes left in regulation and won it four minutes into the overtime.

In the NFC championship game, the Bears faced another challenge in the Cinderella New Orleans Saints. Drew Brees hit Reggie Bush for a dramatic score to cut the lead to 16-14. However, the Bears dominated the fourth with a safety and three touchdowns. The 39-14 propelled Chicago to their first Super Bowl in 21 seasons.

Indianapolis Colts 11 Years Ago

Peyton Manning and the Colts came into 2006 with something to prove. They were clearly the best team of the decade without a championship to their credit. Three consecutive 12-win seasons resulted in three consecutive playoff losses to the eventual Super Bowl champions. In ’06, Tony Dungy’s squad finished 12-4, but that was only good enough for the third seed.

The Colts’ powerful offense featured Joseph Addai, Dominic Rhodes, Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne and Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison. On defense, safety Bob Sanders was the NFL’s DPOY. They also had perhaps the best pass rusher in the league in Dwight Freeney. However, the Colts struggled against the run in the regular season.

Colts’ Defense Takes Over

That would change in the playoffs. In the Wild Card round, Indianapolis faced Kansas City after a series of miraculous events got the Chiefs in. Peyton Manning had a terrible game as he threw three first half interceptions. The Chiefs could not take advantage. Indy took a 16-0 lead en route to a lackluster 23-8 win. The one great thing for the Colts in this game: They held the Chiefs to 126 total yards. They only surrendered 32 yards rushing to Pro Bowler Larry Johnson.

In the divisional round, again Manning struggled and again, the Colts’ defense bailed him out. Adam Vinatieri also deserves a game ball for his five field goals in the Colts’ 15-6 victory over Steve McNair and the Baltimore Ravens. The next day, the Patriots shocked the 14-2 San Diego Chargers setting up the showdown all of America was hoping for.

AFC Championship Classic

The underdog Pats jumped in front thanks to some daring play calls and an Asante Samuel interception return. The Colts scored twice in the third quarter, though, to tie it at 21. New England went back ahead on a Jabar Gaffney touchdown. The Colts tied it again. The Pats kicked a field goal. Indy tied it again. The Patriots got another field goal from Stephen Gostkowski to go up 34-31 then held the Colts to a three-and-out. On the possession, Manning injured his thumb.

The Patriots were one first down away from knocking out the Colts yet again. Suddenly, they made mistakes in the clutch. A silly penalty and a bad route by Troy Brown forced a New England punt. Manning led his team downfield effortlessly. Addai scored the go-ahead touchdown and Indy clinched the ball game on a Marlin Jackson pick. Peyton Manning finally defeated Tom Brady in a meaningful ball game.

Colts Win in A Downpour

From there, the Super Bowl was easy. But, not before the Bears got a highlight for the ages. The incomparable Hester returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. In a steady downpour, Manning was not at his best in the Super Bowl, but he was good enough. The Colts transformed a 14-6 deficit into a 22-14 lead.

Late in the third, Chicago kicked a field goal to cut lead to five. They got the ball right back and moved to around midfield. Then, Kelvin Hayden made the play to give the city of Indianapolis their first Super Bowl championship. He intercepted Grossman and raced 56 yards on the soggy turf for the score and a 29-17 victory. This was not a marvelous Super Bowl by any standards. However, it was a marvelous accomplishment for Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning.

Manning would win another Super Bowl as a member of the Denver Broncos when he was way past his prime and would lose two others. However, this game was his crowning moment as a professional. As for Chicago, they came very close to getting back to the Super Bowl following the 2010 season. But, they lost at home to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

Tomorrow, we will talk about the phenomenal 2007 Patriots and the team that beat them in the Super Bowl!

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_bills

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XL

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The Super Bowl is just 12 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 12 years ago to honor this not-so-significant occasion!

Detroit hosted Super Bowl XL on February 5, 2006. The game pitted the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks against the Pittsburgh Steelers of the American Football Conference.

Seattle Seahawks 12 Years Ago

Rob Tringali

The Seahawks had reached a crossroads under head coach Mike Holmgren. Holmgren won the Super Bowl with Green Bay in 1996, but struggled to duplicate that success with the Hawks. In 2005, he put it altogether for one of the best seasons in franchise history. There were led on offense by quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and running back Shaun Alexander. Seattle finished #1 in points scored. Alexander had one of the best seasons at the running back position in the history of football rushing for 1880 yards and scoring 28 total touchdowns.

After a week 4 overtime loss at Washington left the Seahawks at 2-2, they put together an 11-game winning streak. The defense featured an exciting young linebacker named Lofa Tatupu. Tatupu made the Pro Bowl, then played great in two playoff victories over the Redskins and Panthers respectively. Seattle overwhelmed Carolina limiting them to 18 minutes TOP, causing four turnovers and allowing only one third down conversion. The Seahawks qualified for their first ever Super Bowl.

Pittsburgh Steelers 12 Years Ago

Their opponent was no stranger to the Super Bowl. The Steelers won four World Championships in the 1970’s under Chuck Noll. They made another Super Bowl appearance in 1995 with Bill Cowher calling the shots.

The 2004 Steelers finished with a phenomenal 15-1 record but were defeated at home in the AFC championship game by the eventual Super Bowl winning Patriots. They came back in ’05 with high expectations but slumped during the midseason and fell behind the Bengals in the AFC North division. Pittsburgh’s strength was defense. Their most exciting player in ’05 was safety Troy Polamalu. Polamalu combined tremendous range on the back end with excellent run stopping ability.

On offense, Pittsburgh featured #39 Willie Parker. Parker rushed for over 1200 yards and was supplemented by the power running game of veteran Jerome Bettis, otherwise known as “The Bus.” At wide receiver, the Steelers utilized possession men Antwaan Randle El and Hines Ward.

Six Seed to Super Bowl

In the playoffs, Pittsburgh had to take the long route to the Super Bowl. As the #6 seed, they started by traveling to Cincinnati. The Bengals jumped out to a 17-7 lead. However, Carson Palmer got knocked out of the game with a knee injury. Consequently, the Steelers made the most of the opportunity knocking out their division rivals.

One week later, Pittsburgh was a big underdog against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. However, the Steelers dominated the first three quarters. The Colts woke up in the fourth and cut the lead to 21-18 with time running out. The Steelers were about to put the ball game away when Jerome Bettis fumbled at the Colts’ one. Nick Harper picked it up for Indy and had a great opportunity to return it all the way…until QB Ben Roethlisberger saved the day with a shoestring tackle. The Colts missed a game-tying field goal attempt and Pittsburgh dodged a huge bullet.

In the AFC championship game, the Steelers played a very good road playoff game at Denver. Roethlisberger threw for 275 yards and the Steelers were +4 in turnover differential. The almost perfect performance propelled Pittsburgh to their first Super Bowl in ten years.

Bad Night for Seahawks and Refs

The biggest news story heading into this game was: Jerome Bettis announced his retirement and would be playing his last game in his home town of Detroit. This was one Super Bowl game that lacked rhythm and overall excellence. Roethlisberger, for example, played terribly. But, he was saved by two long scoring plays. Parker dashed for a 75-yard run and Randle El hit Ward on a 43-yard touchdown pass.

Seattle was sloppy. Likewise, they committed a number of controversial penalties. Their only highlights came late in third quarter with a thrilling interception by Kelly Herndon followed by a touchdown reception by tight end Jerramy Stevens. Ironically, the lone touchdown-scorer Stevens dropped a bunch of passes on the evening.

So, the good news about this game was: Coach Cowher and future Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis each earned their only Super Bowl ring. Cowher coached one more year before giving way to Mike Tomlin. The Seahawks achieved their Super Bowl championship eight years later under Pete Carrol.

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the great Peyton Manning’s first Super Bowl championship!

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills