51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XLII

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

New England’s Unsung Defensive Heroes

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It is ridiculous to think that the New England Patriots are headed to another Super Bowl. Tom Brady has been an NFL starter for sixteen seasons and will be under center for his eighth Super Bowl. At this point only the mentally challenged debate the GOAT argument.

But Brady will be the first one to tell you he didn’t get here alone. In the ultimate team sport, he is the ultimate team guy. In that light, we should take some time to recognize the guys not getting the attention they deserve for what they’ve done this post-season.

Stephon Gilmore

It was a hard adjustment for Gilmore in New England. No question at all, he struggled in the first half of the season. Unlike his Bills teammate Mike Gillislee, Gilmore made the necessary adjustments, learned the system, and blossomed into everything for which we could have hoped.

If the Patriots go on to win their sixth Lombardi, Gilmore’s pass defense on fourth and fourteen will go down as one of the greatest defensive plays in Patriots history. It was game saving. Westbrook would have walked into the end zone if Gilmore missed.

Photo Credit: SI

But Gilmore has contributed much more than that single play. He was literally perfect in the divisional round game against Tennessee. He didn’t allow a single catch in four targets.

Malcolm Brown

Whatever happened to Leonard Fournette and the Jaguars ground game that led the league in rushing? Malcolm Brown happened. The third year tackle out of Texas has become the run-stuffer we’ve needed since Big Vince left for Houston.

Credit: NBC Sports

Brown has led a front four that has shut down Fournette, Derrick Henry, and contained two run-threat QBs in these playoffs. He’s done it without the help of Alan Branch or Dont’a Hightower. For New England to beat Philadelphia, we will need another huge game from the big man in the trenches.

James Harrison

After missing three weeks with an injury down the stretch, Kyle Van Noy returned to form against the Jags (nine tackles, one sack, one forced fumble). But his impressive stat line shouldn’t take away from the contributions of Harrison. Too old and slow to get on the field in Pittsburgh (good call Tomlin), Harrison has been a key contributor since arriving in New England. His Week 17 introduction (five tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble) against the Jets gave us a glimpse of what he might have left in the tank. The way he set the edge against Tennessee kept Mariota in the pocket and forced the run right into the big guys in the middle.

Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images via USAToday

Harrison was equally effective Sunday against Jags – containing the edge, swarming to the ball, and applying pressure on Bortles. It was Harrison who busted around the left edge to get to Bortles first as Van Noy hit him from the center for the key nine yard sack on second down taking us to the two-minute warning. Two plays later Gilmore sealed the game.

Great Defensive Schemes Wins Championships

There is a symbiotic relationship between offense and defense in football. Rarely can you win with only one championship caliber squad. Even in the years that the Pats won with marginal defenses, they were always great situationally, stellar in the red zone, and usually among the league leaders in turn-overs.

This year’s defense is not the ’85 Bears. But, they don’t have to be. All they have to do is continue to make key stops and keep the game close. The defensive adjustments the Pats made at halftime Sunday were every bit as important as Tom Brady to the win. Taking away the run and preventing Jacksonville from running out the clock. Applying pressure on Bortles late in the game. Great play after great play by an unheralded but truly elite secondary. These are the reasons New England even had a chance to win at the end.

These are also the reasons why Matt Patricia should be the runaway choice for the Associated Press’ NFL Assistant Coach of the Year. When Matty P moves on to coach the Lions, the next Patriots defensive coordinator will have big shoes to fill.

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

Insane Prop Bets for Super Bowl LII

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The Pats pulled off another stunning comeback to beat Jacksonville in the AFC Championship and set up a Super Bowl meeting with the Eagles. Tom Brady and co are the heaviest favorites in nine years to beat Philadelphia, as most sportsbooks have given them a -5.5 point handicap. But the real fun lies in analyzing the wide array of weird and wonderful prop bets, which will entertain sports fans over the next two weeks. Here are some of the most exotic and fun bets to look out for:

How Long Will the National Anthem Last?

Pop star Pink has been chosen to sing this year’s national anthem and the line has been set at 2 minutes. Under 2 minutes is +100 and over is the -140 favorite in the Super Bowl prop bets. Throughout history the average time is 2 minutes and 18.6 seconds. It has ranged from Billy Joel’s 1 minute 30 seconds rendition to Alicia Keys’ 2 minutes 35 seconds. The last three performers – Luke Bryan, Lady Gaga and Idina Menzel – all went past the 2 minute mark, at 2:04, 2:09 and 2:04 respectively. So going for over 2 minutes at -140 looks like a good idea.

Gatorade, Trump and Wardrobe Malfunctions

The color of the Gatorade to be poured on the winning coach is always a source of great speculation. It resulted in a scratch last year. The President will also make his presence felt due to his long-running standoff with the NFL, and you can bet on how many times Donald Trump will be mentioned. Justin Timberlake is down for the half-time show and the last time that happened, the wardrobe malfunction happened. Janet Jackson’s nipple made a famous appearance back in 2004, when her costume slipped during a duet with Timberlake. That has sent sportsbooks rushing to make up lines about malfunctioning wardrobes this time around.

There are too many weird and wonderful bets on offer to list them all. You can look out for bets on Pink’s outfit, her hair color, and whether she forgets a word during the anthem. It’s also possible to place a bet on who President Trump will pick as the winner.

Coin Toss

One of the most popular Super Bowl prop bets is on the simple coin toss at the start of the game. Both heads and tails are just short of evens, meaning the house should take a slight profit if the betting is split evenly. As with all these prop bets, it is impossible to stake a large sum on the coin toss. However it can be a bit of fun to keep things interesting before the action begins.

Sensible Props

Aside from the quirky props, there are hundreds of more sensible markets regarding what happens on the actual the field of play. The most obvious ones concern the first touchdown scorer, total passing yards, total rushing yards, total points, and so on. But you can break it down to the nth degree:

Third quarter handicap betting
First second half touchdown scorer
First half field goals
Race to 5 points, 10 points, 15, 20, 25, and 30 points
Whether there will be a field goal in the second quarter
When the first scoring play will be
Whether both teams will score 20+ points
Whether there will be a safety or not
Who will score the last touchdown
Whether the first half total points will be odd or even

You could write these bets off as gimmicky, but if you really drill down into the stats and analysis you could find some great value.

Who Will Be Named MVP?

Most of the candidates to win the MVP award are Patriots players, and QB Tom Brady is understandably the favorite at +113 after his heroics last year.

Who Will Win the 2019 Super Bowl in Atlanta?

The oddsmakers have already released lines on who will win next season’s Super Bowl and the Patriots lead the betting as the +450 favorite. The Eagles are next +850.

Celtics’ Three-Game Losing Streak: Reason to Worry?

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I know everyone has been so preoccupied with the Patriot’s ensuring their trip to the Super Bowl that the other Boston sports have been forgotten. But it’s time to come back to reality and realize our Celtics are struggling right now. They have now lost three in a row at home, with the latest loss being to a below .500 Magic team.

Loss to the Magic

Boston fell to the Magic 103-95. Kyrie Irving came back after missing the previous game with shoulder soreness. He put up forty points, but it wasn’t enough to pull the Cs out of the hole. Every time they got close, the Magic pulled away again. They did have a one-point lead going into halftime but they couldn’t expand. The only real offensive help Irving received was from Brown and Morris, who had seventeen and twelve points respectively. Tatum had a rough afternoon: nine points on 4-11 shooting; 1-4 from three. Horford had almost identical stats, but instead was 1-2 from three. The bench was also a disappointment with only six points. Smart and Rozier both played around twenty minutes and only contributed two points each. But I would like to point out how bad the officiating was too. The Cs probably could have pulled out a close one had every call not been in the Magic’s favor.

What’s the Issue?

The issue is quite simple: the offense is sporadic. What I mean is there is only consistency from one person and we all know he cannot continue to do this alone. Here are my concerns:

Al Horford has taken less shots compared to the beginning of the season. He’s fallen into more of a facilitator’s role. Don’t get me wrong, he’s great at it, but I really miss the twenty points he used to put up.
Jayson Tatum also needs to find his rhythm again because anything under ten points just isn’t going to cut it. But I’m not going to be too hard on him because maybe he just hit that ‘rookie wall’.
The Cs rank twenty-third in bench scoring with 31.3. That obviously isn’t enough. It’s sad because they were having a good run, but have since cooled off. The leaders off the bench have to light that fire again, ASAP.

The only thing saving this team right now—by just a thread—is that their defensive rating still ranks first in the league.

How Do the Celtics Feel About Their Recent Woes?

On yesterday’s ESPN’s The Jump, host Rachel Nichols with guests Brian Windhorst and Byron Scott discussed the topic briefly. They brought up the two different responses from two of the Celtics’ leaders:

Al Horford said ‘I feel like we’re fighting for our lives right now’.
Kyrie Irving, in a nutshell, said that this losing streak is an opportunity to grow and learn from mistakes.

Byron Scott, a three-time NBA champion and former coach of the year, found satisfaction in both responses. Horford’s response to the losing streak offers his team a push. There hasn’t been that sense of urgency like there was pre-2018, but their schedule hasn’t helped. They had five days each in between pre-London and post-London, so their rhythm may be a bit off. On the other hand, Irving’s response is a bit more positive but it also comes with a challenge. Yes, it’s an opportunity to grow as a team, but will we come together or come undone?

I have no doubt that the Celtics will figure it out. Not just the players, but coach Stevens as well. I’m sure he’ll find a way to make these line ups work on both sides of the ball.

Cover image courtesy of NESN.com.

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

Is a Brady-Garoppolo Super Bowl in the Forecast?

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JIMMY G TRADED TO SAN FRAN

In October of 2017, the Patriots traded away QB Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers for a 2018 second round pick. Prior to the transaction, Jimmy G was presumably New England’s QB of the future, as Tom Brady is nearing the end of his career. For this reason, many New England fans were troubled by the move. However, as I like to say “In Bill We Trust”. In other words, I personally did not question the move because as history shows, never question Belichick’s actions because he is always right.

49ERS PRIOR TO ACQUIRING GAROPPOLO

ninernoise.com

Since a brief run of being an elite team from 2011-2013, the 49ers have been one of the worst teams in the NFL. They have gone just 13-35 over the past three seasons. The offseason acquisition of former Falcons’ offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was a step in the right direction however the roster still lacked talent and experience on both sides of the ball. The first half of the season was evident that the Shanahan signing was not quite enough as San Fran started the season 0-9. Prior to starting Jimmy G, they were 1-10. During that span they allowed twenty-six points per game while only scoring seventeen. Luckily for San Fran, a savior was sent over from New England.

JIMMY G UNDER CENTER FOR SAN FRAN

mercurynews.com

The Niners were an entirely different team once Jimmy G took over at QB. For starters, they went 5-0. The most remarkable wins came in the final two games of the season. In Week 16 they took down the Jaguars while scoring forty-four points on possibly the league’s best defense. Then the following week they stormed into LA and beat the Rams 34-13. Granted, the Rams were resting some players but it was still a very impressive road win. During the five-game win streak the Niners scored 28.8 points per game. That total was just one point less than the league-leading mark set by the Rams. Also, the efficiency of the offense vastly improved the play of the defense. During Jimmy G’s starts they allowed a respectable 19.8 points which was six less than they allowed through the first twelve weeks.

TB12 VS JIMMY G SUPER BOWL?

For 2018 it may be a stretch due for this to happen due to the strength of the NFC. However it is certainly not out of the question. Though it was a short period of time, San Fran played exceptional with Garoppolo at QB. They played well enough to make me question what the ceiling for this team really is. They have some solid weapons on offense with Carlos Hyde, Marquise Goodwin, and Matt Breida. If they manage to make a few key moves on defense then this team could become legit as soon as next season. In all likelihood, it probably will not happen in 2018, but with other NFC teams getting older a Brady vs Garoppolo Superbowl could certainly happen. Such an event would certainly be all a New England fan could ask for.

*Questions or comments? Find me on Twitter @MLBfromNH (Kevin Civiello)*

*Feature picture credit goes to WEEI.com*

Charlie McAvoy Expected to Miss Two Weeks with Heart Issue

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It came as a surprise to many when the Bruins released a statement that Charlie McAvoy underwent surgery to fix an irregular heartbeat. The Bruins were first notified about the issue after the Bruins game on November 26th. McAvoy informed team doctors that he experienced heart palpitations during the game. The Bruins’ official statement reads:

“Subsequently he underwent an evaluation, which diagnosed him with a supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). The type of SVT Charlie has is not considered to be dangerous to his health but can recur at any time and causes significant symptoms”.

McAvoy decided to have the surgery to correct the issue due to the likeliness of it reoccurring in the future. The twenty year old Calder candidate will stay overnight at Mass General and by all accounts should be back to good health quickly.

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Ramifications

Luckily for McAvoy and the Bruins the problem was taken care of early enough. With the recent tear the Bruins are on it is a punch to the gut. But with the All-Star break just around the corner McAvoy should not be out of the lineup for to many games. The surgery is taking place in late January signals that it cannot be too serious of an issue since it was originally reported in November. However it’s never a good sign when a professional athlete has a heart issue.

Losing McAvoy for a short amount of time will not derail the red-hot Bruins. However it is certainly something to keep an eye on going forward. The key to the next decade for the Bruins is the twenty year old defenseman. So lets hope this was a one time problem. Best wishes for a speedy recovery for McAvoy.

Cover photo courtesy of www.sportingnews.com.

Two Red Sox in Baseball America Top 100 Prospects

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Baseball America released its annual top 100 prospects list Monday. If you go searching for Red Sox, it might take you awhile. The Red Sox have two of their prospects included on the list, and both are in the bottom twenty. What happened to the Red Sox system you might ask? Well, they traded away a lot of their young assets, but most of the deals have worked out. Some of them were dealt to Chicago for staff ace Chris Sale, others were sent to San Diego for Craig Kimbrel and Drew Pomeranz. Others are just no longer eligible, as Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers are on the big club. The Red Sox still have plenty of young talent, as for the farm system; let’s take a look at the two who made the list.

Jason Groome

Groome, unsurprisingly, is the highest Red Sox on the list. What is a bit surprising is him coming in as low as eighty-third on that list. Groome was a top prospect coming into the 2016 draft, some places even ranked him as the best eligible player in the draft. He fell to the Red Sox at twelfth, presumably due to signability issues and minor character concerns. The Red Sox got a bargain, having arguably the best talent in the draft slip to them at twelve. And as a left-handed pitcher with ace potential that was like striking gold.

Groome is a big kid, standing at 6’6″ 220. At just nineteen years old, he has room to add to his frame and maybe pick up a couple of ticks on his fastball velocity, which already reaches the mid-90’s. There is no real concern over his body, as it is a great size to withstand the rigors of pitching all season long and approaching 200 innings a year. Groome also has the makings of a devastating curveball, which Keith Law said was the best in the entire 2016 draft class and one of the best he had ever seen from a high schooler.

Work Left to Do

Groome still has work to do; he is only nineteen years old after all. He needs to work on his mechanics and his control as he walked 4.9 batters per nine innings last season. Groome also needs to improve his changeup to give himself a reliable third pitch. It is hard to make it as a starter in the big leagues with only two pitches, so the development of a third pitch is key. He has the talent to do so, pitching in high school there was no need for him to ever throw a changeup because no one could hit his fastball and curveball. With some work, I expect his changeup to become at least adequate with time.

The reason Groome likely slips to number eighty-three on the prospects list is due to his disappointing 2017 campaign. In all fairness to Groome, he was injured right out of the gate and played catch up for most of the year. Groome took a shellacking in his debut at Greenville and didn’t pitch again for over two months. He made three rehab starts at Lowell, finishing up with a five inning no-hitter. After making it back to Greenville Groome showed inconsistency, pitching a couple stellar games but also exhibiting his control problems in others. He was just 3-7 with a 6.70 ERA at Greenville, but throwing out that first start in which he was injured, the ERA comes down to 5.02. For a positive, Groome struck out 11.77 batters per nine innings at the level.

Moving Forward

A good sign for Groome’s development is he worked out with Chris Sale in the offseason. The Red Sox top prospect, a left-hander, taking the initiative to work out with fellow left-hander and staff ace can only be a good thing. I think if Groome can enter this season healthy he will show a lot more of his potential and show why he was so highly though of out of high school. He has already shown the ability to miss plenty of bats, I think he will put that to better use this season. With it, Groome should fly up the prospect rankings by season’s end. If things go well, he may even threaten the top twenty next year.

Groome grew up a Red Sox fan despite living in New Jersey surrounded by Yankees fans.

Michael Chavis

Chavis came in at eighty-fifth on the prospects list, just two spots lower than Groome. As the top power bat in the Red Sox system, Chavis got a lot of attention last season. A first round pick back in 2014, Chavis struggled adjusting to pro ball. Chavis started in Greenville in 2015 and only batted .223. The only positive of his debut were the sixteen home runs he hit. At just twenty years old the Red Sox had Chavis repeat the level in 2016, and it didn’t go any better. For a first round pick, Michael Chavis was certainly not living up to expectations.

2017

Chavis entered the season last year at twenty-one years old. He also opened the season with high-A Salem, a team he had only played for briefly towards the end of the 2016 season. Chavis showed immense improvement, not only hitting for power, but for average as well. In 223 at-bats with Salem, Chavis hit .318 with seventeen long balls and a 1.029 OPS. He was beginning to show why the Red Sox had made him a first round draft pick three years earlier.

The performance earned Chavis a mid-season callup to AA Portland. Although his bat slowed some, Chavis still exhibited the power potential he had shown in Salem earlier in the year. His average dropped to .250 in Portland, but he still managed a nice .802 OPS. In 248 at-bats he added fourteen more home runs for the Sea Dogs, giving him thirty-one on the season between the two levels. Playing in the Arizona Fall League, Chavis’ numbers remained in line with what he had done in Portland, batting .261 with four home runs and an .805 OPS. Thirty-five home runs in 563 at-bats is a nice year’s work.

Chavis batting with the Portland Sea Dogs.

What’s To Come

Can Chavis be the hitter he was in Salem, hitting for a good average and power? Or will he be a power hitter who struggles to make contact and hit for a mediocre average? The evidence so far leads me to believe he will be closer to the player we saw in Portland then the one with Salem. Hey, there’s a market for power bats, it’s not a bad thing. Even when going well, Chavis has some swing and miss to his game and hasn’t walked a ton. Last year he drew 39 walks against 113 strike outs. It would be nice to see him walk more by the time he makes it to the Major Leagues. Then again, sometimes guys hit the ball with more authority when they have an aggressive approach.

Chavis’ defense at third base is a little questionable, but if Rafael Devers shows improvement at the hot corner the Red Sox are set there for years to come. The ultimate home for Chavis on the diamond might be at first base, where the Red Sox don’t have anyone locked up past 2019. With Mitch Moreland and Hanley Ramirez back in the fold, the Sox shouldn’t need Chavis this year. They even have Sam Travis, who Baseball America rated as the Red Sox seventh best prospect. With another season like 2017, he might force his way up for 2019, but he needs to focus on continual improvement to his game first. Chavis has some work to put in down on the farm, as Major League pitchers will do a better job finding the holes in his swing and exploiting his weaknesses.

Feature picture from Baseball Hot Corner

What’s Different About the Bruins?

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The Bruins have finished the last three seasons with nearly identical numbers, finishing with 96, 93, and 95 points. We were treated to a brief playoff appearance last season, but they certainly weren’t ready to make the jump into the upper tier of the league. Luckily for B’s fans, this year is different. Currently sitting comfortably with the second spot in the Atlantic and on pace for 113 points, this poses one question: what’s making a difference?

Goaltending

For starters, the Bruins have two goalies who have put up solid numbers. Rask got off to a slow start, posting an October save percentage of just .896. This lead to some early season controversy regarding the starting position, seeing as Khudobin came out of the gate hot. But around early December, Rask’s play transformed into what we’re used to seeing out of him. With Khudobin also continuing his stellar season, the Bruins have consequently climbed the standings going 15-2-4 since December 1st. As of today, Rask has started thirty games to Khudobin’s seventeen, emphasizing the faith that the coaching staff has behind both of them. And seeing as both goalies currently boast a season save percentage north of 92% and a GAA below 2.4, it comes as no surprise to see both of them getting their minutes.

The Young Guys

In addition to the dynamic duo between the pipes, the Bruins have also enjoyed plenty of production from players who can’t even drink yet. Rookie standout Charlie McAvoy is leading the way, even drawing some Calder Trophy attention. It’s unlikely that he’ll bring home the honor being a defenseman, but his 25 points through forty-five games to go with his +18 rating is exactly what the Bruins needed. Playing mostly on the top pair, McAvoy has also been given the credit of rejuvenating the play of Zdeno Chara. The two have worked well together all season, and Chara is proving that he still has something left in the tank. Rookies Danton Heinen (10-21-31), Jake DeBrusk (10-14-24), and Matt Grzelyck (1-5-6, +13) have also risen to the occasion this season. Each are proving that they are both hungry and capable of establishing themselves as NHL players.

Goalscoring

The B’s have also managed to combine their trademark “hard-nosed” style of play with a sufficient amount of skill. Between the years of 2010-2016, they failed to have a single seventy-point player. The team simply lacked that “big name scorer” that every team needs for both the fans and the results. But we can now see that Brad Marchand is ready to wear that label.

His increase in production really began in the inaugural World Cup of Hockey. Even while putting up eight points in just six games during Canada’s gold medal run, Marchand is best remembered for his tournament winning goal with just 43.1 seconds remaining to beat Team Europe. From there he took off and established himself as one of the premier forwards in the NHL. He went on to finish the season with 85 points, good for sixth in the league in scoring. This surpassed his previous season high by 24 points and is the most by any Bruin since Marc Savard in 2009 (88). Carrying his play into this season Marchand has been helped out by line mates David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron. With 44 points through 45 games for Pastrnak and 39 in 40 for Bergeron, all three players on the Bruins top line are on pace for career high point totals.

Boston Bruins’ David Pastrnak (88) celebrates with teammates Patrice Bergeron (37), Brad Marchand (63) and Torey Krug after scoring against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 in Montreal. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

The Man Behind the Curtain

And lastly- Bruce Cassidy. The Bruins were lucky to have Claude Julien but after ten years it was time for a new voice. Luckily for the B’s, that voice was already in the organization. Having coached in Providence since 2008, Cassidy was already familiar with several players and the Bruins systems. One of these players is Torey Krug, who recalls that “everything was quick, on the go. He doesn’t like to spend time explaining drills or being at the board at practice. It’s go, go, go”. Krug went on to mention that this becomes a habit and translates into games. With nearly half the season remaining, it will be interesting to see if Cassidy and the Bruins can keep up this unexpected pace. But with the way things are looking right now, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic.

Featured image courtesy of www.stanleycupofchowder.com