Monday, January 25, 2016

AFC/NFC championship

I'm disappointed that the Patriots lost.
New England just couldn't overcome Denver's defense, which played an amazing game!
The Broncos D managed to stifle Brady and Co., holding them to one TD and a handful of FGs and, when it came down to converting a 2-point conversion, it wasn't even close.
Brady was under so much pressure that he barely had time to spot his primary receiver, let alone his secondary or his dump-off man.
Both defenses played their assess off! But Denver provided Manning with an extra second on nearly every play, while Brady's offensive line just couldn't find the groove that would have allowed them to handle the Broncos pass rush.
And since the Patriot's running game was inconsequential, the final was almost a foregone conclusion. Almost, because during the last minute and half of the 4th quarter Brady hit big Gronk down field for a about 17 yards, a play followed up with another pass in the middle that put New England in Denver territory. Brady threw a beautiful pass that floated over two defenders and the Gronk wrapped his huge hands around the football and scored a TD, making it 20-18 Denver.
All Brady and Co. had to come up with was a 2-yard play for a 2-point conversion to tie the game at 20 apiece.
Once again, the Denver D held serve, and the game ended on a 20-18 final score.
I had so much hoped that Brady would get a chance to win that fifth Super Bowl - putting him in the singular category - all alone as 5-time Super Bowl winner.
Manning played a smart, savvy game. He threw one INT, as opposed to Brady's four.
He threw two touchdowns to the same wide open receiver, though it must be noted that the second pass was perfectly placed, allowing the receiver to get both feet down.
C'est la vie!
I hope that Brady will return for at least one more season - and I hope that New England's owner and recruitment team will find players who can provide Brady enough protection to give him the edge.
A tip of the hat to Peyton Manning, who played well enough to beat the best team in the AFC. Of course, Denver will likely get crushed by the Carolina Panthers, who have too much talent, power, momentum, and teamwork for the Broncos to overcome.
My advice: if you're a betting person, take the Panthers in Super Bowl 50, unless the point-spread is ridiculous. I think a 3-point spread will be ideal for gamblers who're leaning toward the Panthers.
Anything beyond 3 points may put the mojo on the game's outcome.


0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home