Broncos, Manning head to second Super Bowl in three years

Photo by Doug Pensinger / Getty Images
Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (No. 18) will make his fourth Super Bowl appearance and is the first quarterback in league history to take more than one team to multiple Super Bowls.

    The Denver Broncos and Peyton Manning have life in them yet, and they will make an appearance in Super Bowl L to face the Carolina Panthers on Feb. 7 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
    Denver defeated the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick 20-18 in another chapter of the Manning versus Brady rivalry.
    It will be Manning's fourth trip to the Super Bowl, and he has a chance to even his record to 2-2 and get a second ring should he and the Broncos win.
    Manning was far from spectacular by any stretch throwing for 176 yards and two touchdowns, but Brady was worse as the 4-time champion threw for 310 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the losing effort.
    The loss also marks the third time Manning has gotten the better of Brady in postseason play as Manning is now 3-0 since 2006 when going against Brady, and no other quarterback has as many playoff wins versus Brady. In AFC championship games, Manning has a career record of 4-1, but the elusive second Super Bowl ring is the next target in his cross-hairs at this stage in his illustrious 18-year career.
    "It's been a unique season," Manning said. "And this game today was a unique game."
    Manning has been known as an offensive stat machine, but at this point in his career he has been more of a game-manager as his physical skills have deteriorated since undergoing multiple surgeries during the 2011 season; his final season with the Indianapolis Colts.
    The No. 1 ranked (in defensive efficiency) Bronco defense -- led by Von Miller -- was the difference-maker of the game as Brady was under duress through all four quarters. Brady was hit a season-high 23 times, and he had not been hit more than 12 times in a single game during the regular season going into Sunday's game.
    In Brady's defense, the Patriots led the league with 37 starting combinations on their offensive line throughout the entire 2015 season, and that lack of continuity would affect any quarterback regardless of how much success was accomplished.
    Turnovers were also a factor as Brady threw two interceptions in the first half. In four of the last five playoff games, Brady has thrown an interception. This season when the Broncos have multiple takeaways, they are 7-1 and 7-0 when they win the turnover battle.
    Denver also saw something from Manning they had not seen very much this season. Going into the game, Manning had one touchdown pass at home. In the first half alone, Manning had thrown two to tight end Owen Daniels.
    "He's going to do what he has to do to win," head coach Gary Kubiak said. "He's one of the greatest competitors ever in this league."
    Another reason why the rivalry between Manning and Brady has an impressive history is because both quarterbacks hold career playoff records. Brady is first all-time in starts (30), passing yards (7.647), and passing touchdowns (55) while Manning is second with 25 starts and 7.022 passing yards and ranks fourth with 38 passing touchdowns.
    Speculation throughout the league is that this may be Manning's final season, and he will get one more chance to leave his postseason legacy on a high note following the 43-8 loss in Super Bowl XLVIII against the Seattle Seahawks in 2014. Plus, Manning has an opportunity to be the oldest (39 years) quarterback to win a Super Bowl since John Elway.

*All information was borrowed from espn.com, @ESPNStatsInfo, @MarkMaske, @WillReeveJr and @Zaclee_nyc
 

Cam dabs on them for first trip to a Super Bowl

Photo from smpicks.com
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (No. 1) led an offensive assault on the Arizona Cardinals for a 49-15 victory in the NFC championship game on Jan. 24. The Panthers are the eighth team in the Super Bowl era to win by at least 30 points in a conference championship game.

    It is official. The Carolina Panthers are Super Bowl bound as they drubbed the No. 2 seed Arizona Cardinals 49-15 at Bank of America Field at the NFC championship game. Quarterback Cam Newton had a game for the ages as he proved to so many doubters that he is in fact a superstar in the NFL.
    Newton passed for 335 yards and two touchdowns while adding two rushing touchdowns as Carolina has punched their ticket to meet with the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl L at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Feb. 7.
    All season long the Panthers have dealt with doubters and non-believers who either criticized their strength of schedule or just plain did not buy into their winning ways. None of that criticism seemed to have any effect on Carolina -- or Newton -- as they just kept winning in a rather impressive manner. The Panthers have lost twice in their last 24 games.
    Many expected a more competitive game -- especially from Arizona -- as the Cardinals also showed critics of their own that they could be a contending team. The result was nothing but that as Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer had a game many Arizona fans would rather forget than relive from seeing reminders on highlights on tv. Palmer spent nearly the entire evening fighting for his life as the Arizona offensive line could not protect him from the Panthers front seven. Palmer turned the ball over six times (four interceptions and two fumbles) to tie an NFL postseason record, was sacked three times and finished with a QBR of 5.0 on the loss.
    "I kept digging us in a hole and we just couldn't come out of it," Palmer said in a post-game interview.
    Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who had a breakout performance in the divisional round versus the Green Bay Packers, was virtually non-existent as Carolina did not look to make the mistakes the Packers made. Fitzgerald had four receptions and 30 yards in the loss.
    "We wanted to come out and play a complete game," Panther linebacker Luke Kuechly said, "there was pressure all day." Kuechly was the star on defense as he had eight tackles (three for a loss), recovered a fumble and returned an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
    The Panthers will now turn their focus to the Broncos who were victorious in their AFC championship game with the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots 20-18. The last time Carolina and Denver met was in the 2012 regular season as the Broncos won easily 36-14.
    With so much more on the line and more experience behind them, the Panthers are a 56 percent favorite to win the Super Bowl. Newton has a chance to make history as well as he is one win away from becoming the only quarterback to win a Heisman trophy, an NCAA National Championship, the NFL MVP and a Super Bowl in a career.

*All information was borrowed from espn.com, @ESPNStatsInfo and @JohnHayesESPN.
 

David Blatt was doomed from the beginning

Photo by Mark Lawrie / Getty Images 
David Blatt is the first head coach who was fired while his team was No.1 in their conference since the league implemented conferences in 1970-71.

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    The Cleveland Cavaliers parted ways with head coach David Blatt today, and immediately addressed their coaching situation as Cleveland and assistant Tyronn Lue agreed to a three-year contract. In doing this, the Cavaliers have essentially spear-headed any potential lame-duck questions every interim coach would face in nearly every other situation when a head coach is fired. The question remains, why didn't Cleveland offer the job to Lue in the first place?

    Blatt was hired before the 2014-15 season, and before the Cavaliers agreed to a contract to bring LeBron James back to the organization that drafted him in 2003. Speculation at the time was that Blatt was on a short leash because James and Lue have had a good relationship for several years. With that, was Blatt just a scapegoat so that Lue could usurp him when the organization felt comfortable making Lue the head coach?

    When the announcement to hire Blatt was made, some questions were raised about the former Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach's ability to succeed in transition from Euroleague to the NBA. His success could not be questioned overseas, but it was in the United States. Others thought Blatt was just a figurehead as James was considered to be not just the leader of the locker room, but on the court as well. The same things were being said about current head coach Eric Spoelstra when James was in Miami.

Cavaliers Superstar LeBron James may or may not have influenced Blatt's firing, but he certainly got the front office's attention with visible displeasure on the bench and in the locker room.

    Regardless of all the speculation then and now, Cleveland appears to have the coach they really wanted to give the job to, but were unsure about the timing over a year ago when the Cavaliers dismissed Mike Brown from head coaching duties. It has been well-documented that James possesses leverage when it comes to the decisions that the front office makes. James was vocal about the contract situation with Tristan Thompson, and it ended up with Thompson getting a five-year $82 million contract. By the way, Thompson and James share the same agent (Rich Paul).

    Blatt did all the right things by saying how grateful he was about getting the opportunity to coach Cleveland and thanked Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert as well as general manager David Griffin. After compiling an 83-40 record in his first NBA coaching gig, he has the appearance of a professional who can win, but his next job will likely not feature a superstar on the roster. It did not look like a good fit from the beginning, and it is possible that the Cavaliers won in spite of Blatt but maybe in a different situation success is attainable. 

    Step No. 1: get out of Cleveland as soon as possible.

        

*According to Elias Sports Bureau, Blatt is the third head coach to be fired one year after his team made an NBA Finals appearance (Byron Scott 2004 and Gene Shue 1977).

Some information and statistics came from espn.com, The Associated Press and Elias Sports Bureau 

    

     

      

Peanut butter and jelly: NFC and AFC championships

Photos (from top left clockwise) by seattletimes.com, nfl.com, charlotteobserver.com and zimbio.com

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    For nearly every football fan, the Super Bowl is the most important game of the entire season, but at times that is the game that has let NFL fans down with large margins of victory. Some would argue that the best games are in the round before the Super Bowl; the week of both the NFC and AFC conference championship games. This is the week that will tell fans what to expect come Feb. 7 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. 

    In 2016, the NFL has the top two seeds from both conferences meeting to compete for an opportunity at winning a Super Bowl since 2004. In the NFC, the Carolina Panthers will host the Arizona Cardinals for a rematch between two teams that met in the wild card round in the 2015 playoffs. The AFC will feature another chapter in the Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning saga that may be the denouement of this well-marketed rivalry between two sure-fire hall of fame players.

    Carolina is a team that despite only losing once in their last 17 games is somewhat of a dichotomy. It is not necessarily a polarizing effect, but the consensus is that the Panthers are the favorites against the thought that they are a product of a weak schedule. Carolina has done what has been asked of them; beat whomever your opponent is. The sample size is there and the mid-term exam (as far as importance goes) was passed when the Panthers defeated the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round last week.

    The Arizona Cardinals have also been an unpredictable team, but mostly because of the history of the franchise. Ever since the Cardinals moved to Arizona, it has been a laughingstock of poor management up until the time the organization opened their new stadium in 2006 to spark excitement in the fan base. This season has been the best in franchise history as the team has a top offense and defense, and it was the most wins for the organization since moving to Arizona in 1988.

    The Panthers' strengths are their ability to run the football with Cam Newton, Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert as well as their stellar defensive play anchored by Luke Kuechly and Josh Norman. Newton is the star and face of the franchise, but this game will determine if doubters will either buy, question or sell Newton. Arizona is a team that is not afraid to throw the ball downfield, and use numerous defensive packages to pressure opposing quarterbacks with the likes of Calais Campbell, Deone Bucannon and Patrick Peterson. The theme of this game may just be, "who will make more mistakes." Many will look to see if Newton can pull off the big win against another tough opponent, and others may be cheering for veteran wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald to chase down that elusive Super Bowl ring some thought he could have won in 2009.

    On the AFC side, the New England Patriots will visit the Denver Broncos, and Brady and Manning have been and will be the focus of the game. It will mark the 17th time the two have competed against each others respective teams, and it will be the fifth time the two future hall of fame quarterbacks will try to eliminate one another from advancing in postseason play (it is 2-2 as of now). Both quarterbacks are not what they once were, but Manning has been the target in an onslaught of criticism since his health has deteriorated over the last few years. Brady has faced questions of his viability as recently as last season, but another Super Bowl victory over Seattle silenced some of those critics for now.

    The Broncos have arguably the best defense in the NFL as they allow the fewest points and create pressure with a front seven that many would say is also the best. Brady can still be a very dangerous passer, especially when he has his favorite targets on the field to force opposing defenses to respect the Patriots' attack. Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman are key to how much success the offensive unit may or may not have. New England are also weak at offensive line as they have used the most starting offensive lineup combinations in the league, but Manning faces a similar red flag with opposing defenses pressuring the Denver offensive line to force Manning to make plays.

    New England is not really a team to have a philosophy that continually is in their game plan. The Patriots play football like a game of poker; they do not play the cards they play the man. Head coach Bill Belichick devises a game plan that is all about taking advantage of weaknesses or mistakes he finds by studying opponents. Denver is a more formulaic offense now that Manning is not as dangerous as he was in his prime. The Broncos have used a running attack that is designed to relieve some of the pressure from Manning. Eyes will be on whether Manning can make throws on critical downs in cold weather in the high-pressured moments that are expected in the playoffs.

    

    Predictions: The Cardinals and Panthers have been playing complete football as both have been able to score and prevent scoring from the opposition. Weather will be a factor for both teams as winter storm Jonas will affect the passing game. Arizona will struggle if they cannot at least have balance, but Carolina very well could lean on their running game since that is what they do best. Because both defenses are dangerous, this game very well could be low-scoring. I did pick Arizona to go to the Super Bowl (via Twitter), and though I am less certain, I will still stick with the Cardinals to win 20-16. (Carolina is favored on most betting lines at -3)

                          New England and Denver is a less intimidating match in my opinion because I am one of the doubters of Manning's arm strength. Denver's defense has also raised a question in me that maybe there is a vulnerability since Pittsburgh was able to put a scare into the Broncos in the divisional round a week ago. Picking against Brady and Belichick is not something I can have much confidence in. I do not expect New England to have much difficulty scoring somewhere around 27 points, but I am not sure Manning can help the Broncos score as much as 20 points in this match up. I did pick New England to go to the Super Bowl as well so I will be comfortable to stick with the Patriots winning 30-20. (New England is favored on most betting lines at -3)