NFL Opinions - wanted or not

I've decided that since it's the offseason, and not much else is going on at the moment, I can afford to post a discussion piece with a touch of statistical analysis.  Threadjack, comment, bicker, love, hate, do whatever, but just make sure you drink and be merry or you're not allowed in my topic :)

First thing's first: Thoughts on the Super Bowl 

I understand that it's your first season Caldwell, and you're on the big stage, and we all really know that Peyton coaches this team, but you looked damned lost on the sidelines Sunday

via cdn.bleacherreport.com

 Jim Caldwell seemed to give his best impression of Wade Phillips the entire game.  Maybe my observation is off base, but every time I saw his mug come up on the TV, he looked like he wasn't sure where he was at.  Sean Payton looked like he had been there a million times and he had been watching hours of film of Tomlin on the sidelines.  He calls a fourth a goal run that they just ran on third and goal and the guy looks like it's business as usual.  For reference, a picture of Payton on the sideline

via tikulicious.files.wordpress.com

 I was watching the game with a few people from my dorm floor, so naturally you're going to have a mixed bag of true NFL fans and people who think they understand whats going on, aka the people that say every call against Peyton Manning was the NFLs way of making sure New Orleans won the game.  I say this with such conviction that I do not even consider it opinion: The refs had nothing to do with the win, and anyone who says anything otherwise lacks a simple understanding of football and the rules it employs.  If I remember correctly, there were 3 flags on each team, one including an unnecessary roughness call AGAINST the Saints that put Manning and his boys at first and goal.  Despite the overall lack of flags in the game, especially ones that helped the Saints "win one for Katrina," I had to listen during the entire game about how the NFL doesn't want Peyton to win and this that and the other.  Pardon my french, but the notion is utter bullsh*t.

In my opinion, this game solidifies Peyton Manning as a choke artist in any big game.  As it stands, his playoff record is 9-9 and his rating over those 18 games is 87.  On top of that, the year he did actually win the big game (2006 vs the Bears for those of you that forgot that snorefest of a SB game), He put up Joe Flacco-esque playoff numbers, including a 39.6 against Baltimore and not going over 80 until he faced the Bears in the SB.  It is my personal opinion that nearly any team in the AFC playoffs could have beaten the Bears that year with Rex Grossman at the helm, and even then, Peyton Manning passed for a very pedestrian 247 yards with 1 pick and 1 touchdown.  He got the MVP despite Joseph Addai/Dominic Rhodes and the Defense carrying that team to the win.  In that game, Addai had 19 carries for 77 yards while hauling in 10 catches for 66 yards as well.  He complimented Dominic Rhodes, who had 21 carries for 113 yards.  That means in a game where Peyton Manning had a defense hold the other team to 10 (Hester returned the opening kickoff for an easy 7), and had 190 yards rushing keeping the blitz off of him, he only managed 247 yards and 1 TD.  I'm as aware as anyone that these numbers are not so horrible, but when you compare them to his gaudy regular season statistics and prowess, it makes the numbers seem even more paltry.  You can take this to the bank or debate it as much as you want, but I believe that Peyton Manning does not get another SB win as long as he plays.  He can hear the clock ticking on his career, and when he heard the clock ticking on Sunday, he couldn't stand up to the pressure.

 The Team of the Decade Debate:

Since the Colts lost this last Sunday, I'm only going to include the my takes on the Steelers and the Patriots, as I think only teams that have won multiple Lombardis in the past 10 years should qualify for the debate.  The numbers speak for themselves, the Patriots have a 70% winning percentage from 2000-2009 versus the Steelers 64% winning percentage from 2000-2009.  This does not include playoff games, but instead regular season only.  Both teams have 6 playoff appearances, with the main difference being the Pats 3 trophies to our 2.  The cold, hard numbers say the Pats are the team of the decade, but I beg to differ.

Fact:  The Patriots have failed at bringing home a title since being busted for extensive cheating by the NFL.

Fact:  The Patriots were failing at bringing home titles since 04, 3 years prior to getting busted for cheating, making them amazing the first half of the decade and really only unstoppable one year since 04.

I don't think that any team busted for cheating to such a severe degree as the Patriots should be even considered for a team of the decade unofficial title and I believe their entire "dynasty" should be questioned.

And on a more personal note, I just hate the infantile view Bill and Tom Brady take on the league.  Bill gets busted for being a cheating bastard in 07 and his response is to run up the score on much lesser teams because his passive aggressive ego has been stomped on.  This has less to do with the debate on how sportsmanlike it is to run up the score and more to do with the fact that it was done to appease a bruised ego that was exposed as much as those spygate tapes.  Both Bill and Tom are complete and utter children.  Plaxico Burress has the faith in his team to suggest the Patriots only score 17 points against the Giants defense and instead of a decent response, Tom Terrific goes on TV and laughs his butt-chinned ass off.

Tom Brady Scoffs at 17 Points (via tomsmike84)

 To this day whenever I get a little sad, I just watch this video and my day is better.  This my friends, is legit grounds for sports hate.  The only thing better than watching Strahan and Tuck murder the Patriots O-line and holding the vaunted Pats to 14 points would have been watching Casey Hampton eat up that line.

It's wonderfully colored with personal bias and childish immaturity only matched by Tom Brady, but I don't think they should be considered for team of the decade just because of that pompous jackassery that is in the video above.

Tim Tebow:

Tim Tebow has many a fan, and frankly, I'm not one of them.  You're religious Tim, we get it, and that's wonderful for you, but you rival only Kurt Warner in self righteousness.  I'm tired of the "God wanted and chose me to win today" mentality.  Sure, thank God for letting you play, but its arrogant as hell (play on words?) to suggest that God really cares about a football game you're playing in.  And of course, your amazing work in the Phillipines where you work on cutting penises because the Lord tells you to do so.

Thats not even considering the fact that I can't go a single day without someone telling me that Tebow is going to go in the first round or the early second and that he will have an immediate impact for some team.  "But he's a football player with great instincts and that drive to win!" you might say.  Well, I say "He can't take a snap from under center... and he wants to play QB in the NFL."  I'm making a bet with a bunch of people on my dorm floor and that I know at school as to when Tim Tebow goes in the NFL draft and I'm guessing that I'm going to rake in the cash during late April.  The guy looks like he runs about a 4.7 or slower, and people are already saying he is going to switch to DB and dominate the game or turn into a punishing HB or TE.  First of all, do you think someone as self important as Tebow is going to allow himself to switch from QB?  Afterall, he is God's gift to football and if he's not playing QB, he just won't be touching the ball enough.  I don't want a DB that might get outran by some of his DLine teammates, and I don't want a HB that can get chased down from behind by a DLine player.

I think I'm about done for now... I feel like momma