Monday Morning Quarterback (AFC predictions)

Sports Illustrated ^ | June 6, 2005 | Peter King

[Asphalt]

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- This is my AFC prediction column, and you're probably wondering: What is that weird dateline doing on the AFC prediction column? Well, I came to Wisconsin over the weekend to take the temperature of Brett Favre and gauge his readiness for a 14th season in Green Bay, so it just happens to be where I am right now.

Favre interlude: The Packers QB holds an annual benefit softball game in this little suburb of Appleton, Wis., a 30-minute drive from Lambeau Field. He does it here because this is where the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the Midwest League Class A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, play in a nice little venue called Fox Cities Stadium.

Favre looked good. Said he weighs 224 pounds and just finished a five-week, five-day-a-week workout regimen with former Notre Dame strength and conditioning man Ken Kroener down in Mississippi. The Packers paid for the training because they think Favre needs to be in better condition to withstand the rigors of an NFL season than he was last year. Which Favre, basically, confirmed. "People made a big deal of this," he told me, sitting at a locker in the Timber Rattlers' spartan clubhouse, "but I do feel better. This time last year, I hadn't really done anything."

Favre's conditioning program included stretching, body-weight lunges. . .

[GraniteStateConservative]

Hey why aren't you guys working? This is a Monday...lol.

FReeping doesn't count as working? Damn, I better get back to actual work, then...

[SoDak]

You suck!!! ;)

[NeoCaveman]

I think Pittsburgh will be tough as well.

I don't think lightning strikes twice. I doubt Pittsburgh can do nearly as well two years in a row. I am appealing to the law of averages on this one.

[vollmond]

If Byron Leftwich and the Jaguars offense explodes, they're going to the Super Bowl. If not, it'll be the Steelers.

[hobbes1]

Fred Taylors achy breaky left knee has alot more to say about the Jags future, than Leftwich....

[discostu]

Salary cap, the 3-4 defense and domes.

The salary cap ended the dominations of the larger market teams, which were mostly in the NFC, no longer to deeper pockets mean deeper talent.

The AFC has begun re-adopting the 3-4 defense which, if you've got the personel to pull it off, is a superior base defense which allows for a lot more creativity in pass rushing.

And the NFC has become more and more dome happy, while the AFC remains with just 2 dome teams. Come January dome teams suffer when forced to play outside.

[GraniteStateConservative]

I'm sticking with my Favre vs. Brady SB prediction until it comes true.

[discostu]

No dome team is going to rise out of the AFC ever. They suffer too much outdoors to get home field advantage through out, and really suffer in January outdoors. If Indy want to seriously contend they need to redo the plans for their new stadium and play outdoors, or switch to the NFC where they can actually play road games under a roof.

[Dog Gone]

I can't argue with that!

The Famous Hail Mary Pass

Mention the term "Hail Mary" to any longtime Vikings fan and he'll think of one of two plays. You'll know which by the physical reaction. If it's the Tommy Kramer to Ahmad Rashad TD to beat Cleveland 28-23 in December 1980, he'll have a big smile, fondly remembering the old Met shaking in celebration. If, however he flashes back to the 1975 NFC Divisional Playoff versus the Dallas Cowboys, you had better have an airsick bag at the ready, or preferably something to punch. To explain, let us flash back ...

It is December 28th, 1975. The place — Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minn. The Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys, and their respective defenses — The Purple People Eaters and The Doomsday Defense — had fought to a 10-7 Dallas lead for most of four quarters of football. Finally, with 1:51 left in the game, Fran Tarkenton's Viking offense capped a drive with a TD, to go ahead 14-10. Dallas now needed another TD of their own, and with the Purple People Eaters in their finest form, the partisan crowd could taste a third consecutive Super Bowl for their Norsemen.

QB Roger Staubach took over the Dallas offense at their own 15-yard line. He did an admirable job in the face of Marshall, Page, Eller, and Larsen, moving the Cowboys to midfield in nine plays, all the while fighting sore ribs made tight by the cold Minnesota winter wind. But Dallas was out of time-outs and there was now less than 30 seconds on the game clock. One sack or even a completion in the middle of the field, and time would be all but exhausted. It seemed the effort would be fruitless.

Lining up once again in shotgun formation, Staubach took the snap, pump-faked left, then turned to his right and fired the ball deep downfield. Cowboys WR Drew Pearson was out there, being shadowed by Vikings CB Nate Wright. Both turned to the outside to follow the flight of the ball, Pearson cutting under Wright. But Wright would slip on the frozen turf. Nevertheless, he seemed to be in position to stop the pass. As the ball came down, Pearson pushed off of Wright and caught the pass, trapping it against his hip at the 5-yard line. As Pearson strode into the end zone, free safety Paul Krause hurdled over Wright, screaming at field judge Armen Terzian for the interference call that was never made. And an orange whizzed by Pearson at the goal line. For his wonderful effort, Terzian was struck in the head and cut open by a whiskey bottle thrown from the stands. The old Met crowd, celebrating another Super Bowl just a moment before, was now quiet, seething in anger and gaping in stunned disbelief.

In a post-game interview, someone described the play to Staubach, who had been hit immediately after throwing the ball and didn't see its ending. "You mean he [Pearson] caught the ball and ran in for the touchdown?" Staubach asked. "It was just a Hail Mary pass; a very, very lucky play." After some time had passed, the play was part of history, new grudges were set, and the NFL had washed its hands of the embarrassing matter. Drew Pearson finally admitted to former Viking RB Chuck Foreman (who played in the game) that he did indeed intentionally commit offensive pass interference against Nate Wright. This does serve as a form of redemption, but it is too little, too late, and certainly not forgiven.

[GraniteStateConservative]

the only people you'll hear play the "disrespect" card will be Pats coaches (how else can they motivate the reigning champs?)

And Rodney Harrison.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

I see it as more of a cyclic thing. The AFC dominated in the 70's, then the NFC owned the 80's and on up until the mid 90's. Now, the AFC is on top again. In another few years, the pendulum will swing back to the NFC.

If anything, I'd say it has more to do with the coaches and GM's finding the players who fit be it smash mouth, or West Coast offense. Gibbs, Parcells, and Walsh all became head coaches within about 4 years of each other, and got players who could play their designated role in the system, which coincided with the rise of the NFC. Chuck Noll and Don Shula did the same thing, as does Belichick and Andy Reid.

[discostu]

I don't think the pendulum is swinging back to the NFC any time soon, too many dome teams. Of course they could get so many that the dome stops being a problem in there. There certainly are a lot of inept GMs in the NFC these days.

[SoDak]

I was just 10 years old at the time, but I remember that hateful moment like it was yesterday.

[Dog Gone]

I still can't believe that flash of yellow was an orange and not a penalty flag.

And who the heck brought an orange to the game?

[GraniteStateConservative]

15? You don't have to go all the way back to 1990. And we can't blame Lisa Olson for this stinkbomb of a season!

I present your 1992 New England Patriots!

Record: 2 (@Colts in OT, Jets)-14-0
Next to last place in points scored
6th worst in points allowed

Irving Fryar, Ben Coates, Marv Cook, Jon Vaughn, Fred Smerlas...

And, their suckitude killed forever this logo...

Which was replaced by the script version we've kept basicly the same ever since, with only minor changes.

This season also lead to the Bill Parcells-Drew Bledsoe era in 1993.

This was a seminal event in Pats history! Now, let's all try to forget about when the 3-Time World Champs really and truly sucked like Monica. It was all just a bad dream, okay!

[SoDak]

Oh well, it just saved us from a fifth loss in the Superbowl. Although, we may have gotten over the hump that year and beat Pittsburgh.

[Dog Gone]

The 1975 Vikings may have been the best team that franchise ever assembled. You wuz robbed.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Hey, you have Andruzzi and Crennel and you might get Ty Law. You'll get better a lot sooner than you think with a pedigree like that!

From the moment Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel were hired, they have talked incessantly about what the Browns can do together, not necessarily as individuals. Crennel and Andruzzi, for instance, are quick to point out that playing as a team is the reason the Patriots have dominated.

“In my five years with New England and in my three years in Green Bay before that, I’ve been with winning teams,” Andruzzi said. “I’ve learned from that that the togetherness of the team is a big part of going out there and playing on Sunday. You want these guys to go out there and play for each other.”

“No one player is going to be able to do it for a team,” Andruzzi said. “It’s offense, defense and special teams working together and the players playing hard for each other.”

http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news_room/news/arts/4298.0.html

[Asphalt]

yep

[Asphalt]

never seen that before, it's nasty