49ers Lose another Close one in Overtime

Week 5 - With a trip to Indianapolis to take on the (1-3) Colts for the first time since the end of the Peyton Manning era, the (0-4) San Francisco 49ers would be reunited with one of their own franchise greats in running back Frank Gore, a match up Niners linebacker NaVorro Bowman was excited for as the two spent five seasons together as teammates and remain close to one another to this day. A day after revealing the statue of Peyton Manning outside of Lucas Oil Stadium, the Colts honored the great No. 18 by inducting him into their ring ceremony and officially retiring his jersey during halftime. But with the 49ers still seeking their first win of the season, San Francisco would look to crash the party and spoil the special day arranged for one of the game's all-time greats.

Looking to continue his success against the Colts who he threw a career-high 397 passing yards against in Week 5 a season ago while a member of the Chicago Bears, QB Brian Hoyer had himself another nice game statistically after shaking off a slow start. But before any scoring would be done, Colts running back Frank Gore would move his way up the rankings on the NFL's all-time rushing list with a 9-yard carry on Indy's first possession as he passed Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson to move into the No. 7 spot. Several plays later, another all-time great added his name to the record books as Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri converted on a 52-yard field goal to give his team an early 3-0 lead while also becoming the third player ever with 2,000 points. With nothing but field goals to show for and the score tied at 6 heading into the half, San Francisco opened the third quarter with more woes on third down as their league-worst third down efficiency continued to plummet as the 49ers converted on only 4 of their 14 third down tries on Sunday. Because of those woes, it wouldn't be long before Hoyer and company found themselves behind by double-digits with less than 10 minutes to play in regulation.

Trailing 23-9 following back-to-back touchdown scoring drives by the Colts, coach Kyle Shanahan would need his offense to ditch the field goals for touchdowns if they stood any chance of pulling off the comeback. It would be a tall task, however, as the 49ers found themselves in a drought that saw 22 consecutive possessions without a touchdown. But a pair of deep passes hauled in by receiver Marquise Goodwin spanning 20 and 51 yards would put the Niners in position to score that elusive touchdown. Facing a 3rd and 6, Hoyer would find fullback Kyle Juszczyk with a shovel pass as he bulldozed his way into the end zone to pull his team within a touchdown. The 6-yard score would be San Francisco's first touchdown since Week 3 and first on the road this season. With a much needed stop on defense on Indy's ensuing possession, San Francisco would get the ball back with 5:29 remaining in regulation. They would use all but 20 seconds of that time by stringing together a 14-play drive that featured two 4th down conversions on passes to rookie tight-end George Kittle, the first of which on a 19-yard connection on 4th and 1 and the second on 4th and goal from the 5 as Kittle caught the ball and just made it over the goal line, thus tying the score at 23-all and sending the game into overtime.

With Indianapolis winning the coin toss and electing to receive in OT, it didn't appear that the 49ers would even get a chance to possess the ball as Colts QB Jacoby Brissett (22 for 34, 314 yards) marched his team all the way to the 8-yard line following multiple strikes down the field including a 46-yarder to T.Y. Hilton who amassed a game-high 177-yards receiving on 7 receptions. That wouldn't be the case, however, as 49ers linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong came up with his second interception in the end zone in as many weeks as he leaped into the air for the pickoff and returned it 29-yards. But after a costly holding penalty by the 49ers offensive-line, San Francisco would fail to cash in on their golden opportunity and were forced to punt. From there, backup running back Marlon Mack who showed the potential to be the team's starting running back of the future as he tallied 91-yards rushing on the afternoon including a 35-yard gain on his final carry of the ball game to put the Colts in field goal range and setup their Pro-Bowl kicker for the game-winner. And from 51-yards out, Vinatieri would add yet another feather to his cap as one of the most clutch kickers of all-time split the uprights one more time to give his team the 26-23 victory.

For San Francisco, the loss would be their fifth in as many games this season which in itself is frustrating, but perhaps even more so simply because of just how close they've been as they've now lost the last four games by a combined 11-points. And like they did a week ago in their overtime loss to Arizona, the 49ers squandered yet another golden opportunity in overtime as victory slipped through their hands once again. On the positive side of things, kicker Robbie Gould who had made 28 straight field goals entering Sunday added a trio of makes on Sunday to improve his streak to 31 consecutive made field goals, the longest active streak in the NFL. Brian Hoyer threw for 353 yards on the afternoon, 94 of those yards would go to former Colts wide-out Pierre Garcon who caught a game-high 8 passes while also adding to his streak of 271 consecutive receptions without a fumble, the longest active streak of its kind. Running back Carlos Hyde appeared to once again be bothered by his lingering hip injury as he started the game but missed a majority of the second quarter and all of the third quarter before returning late in the fourth.

Week 6 Preview - Rounding out their current 3-game round trip and 5th road game in seven weeks, the (0-5) 49ers will pay a visit to the nation's capital to take on the (2-2) Washington Redskins. Coming off a BYE week, QB Kirk Cousins and company will look to keep pace with the first place Philadelphia Eagles as he matches up with his former offensive coordinator in Kyle Shanahan. With rumors swirling regarding the 49ers showing interest in acquiring Cousins next season, the game could very well be a tryout as Shanahan and general manager John Lynch will get a clear look at Cousins on the field. San Francisco, meanwhile, will try and make his day as miserable as possible as they look to log their first win of the season before returning home next week to host Dallas. And just like Week 5 when they were reunited with long time Niner Frank Gore, San Francisco will see another familiar face in Washington as former head coach Jim Tomsula will be on the opposite sideline serving as the Redskins' defensive-line coach, a position he excelled at for 8 seasons with the 49ers.


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Denver's Dominant Defense too much for Newton's Panthers in Super Bowl 50

Super Bowl 50 - Two years ago at Super Bowl 48, Peyton Manning was thrashed by a defense that led to a 43-8 dismantling of the Denver Broncos. This time around, it was the defense that carried him to his second Super Bowl victory on Sunday and the team to its third. In a game that featured little excitement on offense for either team despite Carolina owning the highest-scoring offense in the league, it was defense that took center stage in this one. While both teams entered the golden game with defenses among the league's best, nobody expected the struggles on offense to play out quite like they did come kickoff. With "Keep Pounding" being Carolina's motto all season long, the only pounding they'd see on their side was from reigning NBA MVP and avid Panthers fan Steph Curry who helped introduce Carolina onto the field by banging a black and teal drum draped with the motto. The rest of the pounding would be at Carolina's expense and supplied by Denver's dominant front seven as there would be no dabbing or selfies taking place by members of the Panthers on this day. 

With Carolina winning the coin toss and electing to differ, Denver had no problem receiving the ball first and getting things started as Manning threw a strike to his tight-end Owen Daniels for an 18-yard gain on the game's opening-play. He would follow it up just three plays later with a 22-yard connection to receiver Andre Caldwell. A pair of nice runs from running back C.J. Anderson would help Denver march into field goal range as kicker Brandon McManus capped what would be his team's best drive of the day with an early field goal to put his team on top. It would mark the first time that Carolina trailed at any time during the postseason all year. And from that point on, Denver never looked back. After exchanging punts, Carolina took over on offense deep in their own territory, spelling doom for Cam Newton and company as Von Miller broke through and wisely went for the ball instead of a sack, stripping it away from the quarterback as teammate Malik Jackson scooped up the ball in the end zone for the defensive touchdown. Despite playing in a record-tying eighth Super Bowl, it was the first in which they've ever scored a touchdown on defense. The big play on defense and first sack of the game would be the first of many by the Broncos D.

And just like that, Carolina found themselves in a hole, down 10-0 on the biggest stage imaginable. Though the 10-0 deficit wasn't completely foreign to the Panthers who trailed by 10+ points on three occasions this season and came back to win all three games, being asked to make such a comeback against a defense like Denver's would be a different story. During the two weeks in between the Conference Championships and Super Bowl Sunday, all we heard from Carolina's side was the debate of whether or not this Panthers team would be touted as one of the all-time great teams if they could come out on top. But the team that entered the big game a combined 17-1 on the season, resembled an entirely different group come game time. And no one player looked more uncomfortable during the game than quarterback Cam Newton who was named the league MVP the night before. Hoping to become the first league MVP to win the Super Bowl in the same year since Kurt Warner of the 1999 St. Louis Rams, Newton was held in check and looked like a shadow of the QB that entered the game having dominated along his journey to get there.

Not accustomed to playing from behind, Newton did manage to temporarily kick those jitters to the side as the Panthers offense finally got things going to start the second quarter. After having good field position wiped out by an illegal block penalty on the kick, Carolina stringed together their only decent drive of the game, with running back Jonathan Stewart soaring into the end zone from a yard out to put the Panthers on the board. After the touchdown that made it a 10-7 game, both teams exchanged punts. During Carolina's punt, however, the Panthers special-teams made the terrible mistake of assuming Broncos return man Jordan Norwood had called for a fair-catch. The brain cramp would cost them as Norwood returned the punt for a record-setting 61-yards, the longest punt return in Super Bowl history. The return would set the Broncos up for a second field goal by McManus, increasing Denver's lead to 13-7. Things would go from bad to worse for the Panthers on offense as fullback Mike Tolbert fumbled at midfield for the first time all year, recovered by the Denver defense. Luckily for Panthers head coach Ron Rivera and company, it wouldn't cost them.

With the Broncos offense threatening one final time before the half and looking to make it a double-digit ballgame, the Panthers defense came thru with an interception in Carolina territory as defensive end Kony Ealy stepped in front of a pass intended for Emanuel Sanders. While it would be his only mistake in the game, the interception by Manning snapped a postseason career-best 164 consecutive pass attempts without an interception and gave him at least one in all four of his Super Bowl appearances, tying a mark held by his boss and Broncos Vice President -- John Elway. The Panthers were unable to cash the turnover in for points, but it did keep the game within striking distance as Denver took their 13-7 lead with them into the half. With how many self-inflicted miscues the Panthers committed in the first half, they were fortunate enough to head into the locker room staring down a deficit of only 6-points. Having entered the game on the opposite side of things by outscoring opponents 55-7 during the first half this postseason, Carolina found themselves in uncharted waters.

And just when you thought the Panthers had flipped the switch to open the second half, they continued to shoot themselves in the foot once again. After connecting with receiver Ted Ginn Jr. on the second play of the half for the longest reception of the game -- a 45-yarder, the Panthers seemed bound to put a dent into Denver's lead, if not pull ahead. Instead, kicker Graham Gano missed a 44-yard field goal attempt, doinking it off the right upright. As for his counterpart, McManus continued to bang 'em thru as Manning marched the offense into field goal range once more, adding to their lead. With Carolina in need of a response, Cam Newton unloaded a deep pass that was snatched in the air by a leaping Corey Brown for a 42-yard pickup. Sadly, the drive would hit a brick wall with much of the same for Carolina as Newton was picked off just four plays later on a pass that was too hot to handle intended for Ginn. Safety T.J. Ward came up with the interception before fumbling the ball on the return and being saved by a Broncos teammate who made the recovery.

Carolina would show some late signs of life in the fourth as it was their defensive end Ealy who came up with yet another big play on defense, stripping Manning of the ball and forcing the turnover. They would capitalize the fumble recovery with a field goal that Gano converted on to inch closer and make it a 16-10 affair. Taking over with less than five minutes remaining and down by six, Denver dealt the final blow on a strip by Von Miller, recovered by Ward. The play drew quite the scrum for the ball and quite the discussion as Newton appeared to have given up on the play by electing not to dive for the loose ball. Taking over from the 4-yard line, Denver would provide the last nail in the coffin as C.J. Anderson ran it in from 2-yards out to make it a two-score game. And just for extra measure, Denver converted on the two-point conversion to seal it, pulling off the 24-10 victory.

With the win, Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak became the first to ever win a Super Bowl as a player and coach for the same team. He's also only the fourth coach in NFL history to hoist a Lombardi Trophy in his first year at the helm. As for Manning who surpassed Brett Favre for the most wins all-time with win No. 200, Peyton becomes the 12th QB to win two Super Bowl titles and the first to do it with different teams. As for his future, Manning has refused to tip his hand as to whether or not he'll be retiring and says he plans to take some time to weigh his options now that the season is over. A move Elway approves of and encouraged Manning he took as much as he needs to think it over. Though winning his second ring should make his decision to step away from the game a bit easier, Denver's defense is so good that it just might entice him to come back for one last rodeo in hopes of winning back-to-back titles and retiring the same way Elway did, even if Manning is half the quarterback he once was. One player who won't garner nearly as much credit and appreciation that he deserves during Denver's title run is backup QB Brock Osweiler who would be getting the short end of the stick if Manning does return in 2016.

As much as we would like to remember this game as Manning's last hurrah (potentially), it was all about Denver's defense which tied a Super Bowl record with seven sacks and paved the way to victory. Not since Super Bowl 48 have we seen as dominant a performance like the one we saw on Sunday. But after that 43-8 shellacking at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks, it's safe to say that Denver not only learned from their lesson, but tried duplicating the same formula that they were on the receiving end of last time around. In the win, Manning threw for just 141 yards with zero touchdowns and one interception as Denver's 194 total yards were the fewest ever for a Super Bowl-winning team. On the losing side of things, Newton threw for 265 yards while also going touchdown-less and throwing an interception as the Panthers were held one-dimensional by the dominant Denver D.


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Panthers-Broncos to meet in Super Bowl 50

As the 2015 NFL season nears its end, the table is set for Super Bowl 50. With less than two weeks to prepare ourselves for the big game on February 7, we take a look at the two teams who will be vying for the Lombardi Trophy and the very different roads they've journeyed to get there. While one team we had a feeling could be there since the start of the season (Denver), the other came out of nowhere and has been somewhat of a surprise (Carolina). But I'll start with the one team and one man who everyone in and around the game could possibly remember this Super Bowl by and that's the Denver Broncos and their fading star of a quarterback -- Peyton Manning. 

Just two years removed from their most recent Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl 48 which Bronco fans would rather forget took place as their team was dismantled, 43-8 by a dominant Seattle defense, this year's Denver team has been polar opposites of their 2013 selves. Making their way to the big game by way of their offense which was tops in the league and among the greatest in league history just two seasons ago, this year's Broncos team made their way back to the Super Bowl in a very different way, flipping the script if you will, by boasting the league's best defense. With future Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning and the Denver offense taking a backseat, the 2015 Broncos are a team that has thrived and relied heavily on their defense. Mind you this is the same team that endured a rough patch that saw five consecutive weeks without scoring a single offensive touchdown and often looked better with Brock Osweiler in under center and Manning, one of the greatest to ever play the position, on the bench. While their offense has often been under fire and constantly questioned, the same can't be said for the defense, having allowed the fewest yards per game this season (283) and forcing the most sacks (52) under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. 

It's no wonder that this will be Manning's fourth Super Bowl appearance, (frankly, he should've reached this number a long time ago), as he gets set to take the field as the oldest quarterback to ever start a Super Bowl at age 39. And when he does take the field in what could possibly be the last game of his illustrious career, he'll become the first QB ever to make multiple Super Bowl appearances with multiple teams, while also becoming the first at his position to reach four Super Bowl's under four different head coaches. Manning is eclipsed by only Tom Brady and John Elway who have more Super Bowl appearances under their belts. But this game and story line shouldn't be all about Manning even though it most likely will be. The guy simply isn't the player he once was and while his team usually gets to the big game because of him, this year they've made it to the big game in spite of him. That's no knock on arguably the greatest regular season quarterback of all-time, but just further proof that father time waits for no man. 

But back to the Denver defense which won them the right to play in Super Bowl 50 with a dominant performance over the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in the AFC Championship's 20-18 win. Denver's D got to Brady four times for a sack and a heck of a lot more times with quarterback hits mostly provided by Von Miller who had a hell of a game recording 2.5 sacks of his own to go along with one of two Brady interceptions, the hits being the most Tom Terrific has ever suffered in his playoff career. If Manning hoists his second career Lombardi Trophy, one that should help him ride off into the sunset and make stepping away from the game of football a bit easier, it'll most likely be a result of another dominant performance by the defense and not by the potent offenses teams of Manning's Super Bowl past have been known for. 

Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers enter next Sunday's game red-hot and resembling a team of destiny. With a dominant regular season which many believed they could finish undefeated, the lone loss to the division rival Atlanta Falcons in Week 16 is the only blemish on Carolina's 2015 resume. But I was one of the few who believed the Panthers suffering a loss that would disrupt their push for a perfect season would do them more good than harm. And now that they know they could be beaten, they've given it their all and have refused to take their foot off the gas pedal. Well except for maybe that near collapse in the NFC Divisional round meeting where they nearly let Seattle march all the way back from a 31-point deficit in the second half. But Carolina rebounded by not letting a double-digit lead heading into the half of last Sunday's NFC title game get to their head or slip away as the NFC's second-best team in the Arizona Cardinals appeared to be no match for the now 17-1 Panthers who ran away with the 49-15 romp. 

Though Carolina's defense is also stellar but isn't quite up to par with Denver's which could cause problems up the middle and get to the quarterback with the best of 'em, it does feature the balance you want in a team on both sides of the ball. With playmakers on defense such as linebackers Luke Keuchle and Thomas Davis (who suffered a broken arm on Sunday but is expected to play) as well as this year's most shutdown cornerback in Josh Norman, just to name a few, Carolina comes in having caused the most takeaways in the league with 39, 24 of which being interceptions which they led the league in. But even then, this Panthers team has been most known for their offensive scoring ability which is tops in the league and none other than their captain in quarterback Cam Newton. With Newton most likely to be named league MVP, an award his counterpart Peyton Manning has won a record five times, the former Heisman Trophy winner would like nothing more than to capture the first Lombardi Trophy in Carolina Panthers franchise history. 

What's most remarkable about Carolina's explosive offense and the year they've had, is they've managed to do it all without their best receiver as Kelvin Benjamin has been sidelined all season long with a torn ACL he suffered in training camp. With the second-year wide-out expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2016 regular season, Carolina's offense could very well be just as good if not better next year. But before we get ahead of ourselves, the match-up between quarterback's Newton and Manning is an intriguing one because of the 13-year age difference which will be the largest in Super Bowl history. Not to mention the very different playing styles both QB's posses. Through the air or on the ground, Newton can do it all as he showed in Sunday's win with a pair of rushing and passing touchdowns, whereas Sunday's AFC Championship saw the first rush for a first down by Manning all year -- a 12-yard dash which happened to be his longest playoff run since his rookie season. And then there's the fact that this'll be the first ever Super Bowl meeting between two quarterback's taken first overall in their respective Draft's (Manning in 1998 and Newton in 2011). 

By punching their ticket to the big game, Carolina is only the ninth team to enter the Super Bowl with one loss or fewer, joining only the 2007 Patriots to have done it in the last 30 years. It'll also be the franchise's second Super Bowl appearance, still seeking their first victory. As for Denver, it'll be their eighth appearance, tying the Patriots, Cowboys and Steelers for the most all-time, and a win would give them their third. For what it's worth, 10 of the last 11 Super Bowl winners have donned white uniforms. Coincidentally, Carolina's only other Super Bowl appearance was in 2004 and resulted in a loss to the Patriots while wearing their white uni's. This time around they've chosen to go with black, allowing Denver to go with the more popular white uniforms. Superstitious or not, it's something Bronco fans should be ecstatic about considering they won't be wearing the orange uni's that seem to be bad luck seeing as they were demolished in them two years ago and have gone 0-4 all-time in Super Bowl's while in orange. 

Prediction: Now for how I think the big game will play out. Super Bowl 50 will be the third consecutive Super Bowl in which both No. 1 seeds reach the big game, proving once again just how important home field advantage is come playoff time. And with this game being played on the neutral grounds of San Francisco at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium, home of the 49ers, there'll be no home field advantage for either coach Ron Rivera or coach Gary Kubiak. As we've learned in the past and most notably the last time Denver made its trip to the Super Bowl, defense wins championships. With that said, all signs would point towards me taking the defensive-minded Broncos, right? Wrong! I'm not going to claim that the only reason the Broncos are Super Bowl-bound is because of a missed extra-point by the usually automatic Stephen Gostkowski, but the truth is that the missed PAT (ending a streak of 523 consecutive makes) changed the entire complexion of how coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots approached the game, having to go for that failed two-point conversion with just seconds remaining which sealed the Broncos' win and sent New England packing. 

I'll also give Peyton some credit for the two first half drives he led the Broncos offense on which resulted in touchdowns, but I'm afraid he'll be asked to put up a lot more points against a high octane offense like Carolina's. Something I don't think he'll be able to do as the opposing team's secondary will once again prove to be his kryptonite. Though I don't necessarily see Newton and the Carolina offense running amok quite like they have in each of the past two games as they'll have a much better defense in front of them come Super Bowl Sunday, I just don't see any offense exchanging punches with Carolina, and certainly not one led by the aging Peyton Manning and a run game that failed to get going until late against the Patriots. But that's not to say Denver doesn't stand a chance. If they can contain Newton and running back Jonathan Stewart on the ground like they did New England's ground attack and apply the same pressure to Newton that doomed Brady, they'll pull off the upset. With that said, it'll be intriguing to see how they approach a QB of Newton's caliber whom possesses arguably the most dangerous duel-threat ability in the game. Regardless, I'm taking Carolina who I think pulls off the 27-17 win with receiver and kick return specialist Teddy Ginn Jr. scoring a late touchdown to seal it for the Panthers' first-ever Super Bowl triumph.

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Peyton Manning's cloudy Future

Uncertainty in the air - Since the start of the Peyton Manning era in Denver some three seasons ago, the Denver Broncos have done nothing but break records and win games during the regular season. Their success in the postseason, however, not so much. Then again, that's the one knock on one of the game's all-time great signal callers. With just the one Super Bowl victory under his belt, Manning has had the pieces in place during his time with Denver to change that. But a disappointing loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in his first year with the Broncos in 2012 followed by a 35-point shellacking to the Seattle Seahawks in last year's Super Bowl, has deprived him of that second Lombardi Trophy that he has tried so hard to capture. 

And then there was Sunday's loss at the hands of Peyton's former team -- the Indianapolis Colts, the most recent disappointing postseason finish which has many pondering; could we have seen the last of No.18? While there's no denying Manning still possesses the skill set to play in this league despite his age, would he be willing to take on another trying offseason of training, mental preparation and everything in between? When being asked about his future following yesterday's 24-13 loss which eliminated Denver from the playoffs, the 5-time MVP was noncommittal in his answer while leaving us on the edge of our seats. Clouding Manning's future even more so is the news of Broncos head coach John Fox mutually agreeing to step down from his position with the team. Under Fox who signed a contract extension during the offseason, the Broncos have won AFC Western Division titles in each of his first four years with the team. Fox coached the team to an impressive record of 46-18 during the regular season, but it was his 2-3 record during the playoffs coupled with philosophical differences from those of Broncos GM John Elway which led to the two sides parting ways.

With Fox out the door and offensive coordinator Adam Gase likely to follow with offers of a possible head coaching position if he doesn't receive one from Elway himself, the likelihood of Manning deciding to call it quits would most certainly improve assuming Peyton would oppose the idea of welcoming a new offensive system. And with the relationship between Manning and Gase being a close one, who Elway and company decide to go with to fill their head coaching vacancy could be the deciding factor in whether or not the soon to be 39-year old Manning returns. Not to mention the many play-makers on offense that are set to hit the free-agency market including Julius Thomas, Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker to name a few. Though it's been reported that Manning played Sunday's game with a torn quadriceps muscle, it would be hard to blame the loss on that alone given Indianapolis admitted to stealing a page from Seattle's book by taking away the middle of the field and forcing Manning to try his hand at the deep passes along the sideline that he just wasn't able to make like he so often has in the past.


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49ers No Match for Manning on Historic Night

When the 2014-15 NFL Schedule came out in the offseason, many fans including myself had Week 7's Sunday Night Football match-up between the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos circled on their calendar. Expecting to see a back and forth melee between interconference heavyweights, the game would turn out to be anything but. As if being 3 touchdowns shy of becoming the NFL's all-time passing touchdowns leader wasn't enough motivation for Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, he was given the task of facing a depleted 49er defense that's without a number of its key cogs. Despite San Francisco's defense entering the meeting 2nd in the league in yards allowed per game, they were no match for Manning on this historic evening.

By halftime, Manning had already eclipsed Brett Favre's all-time record of 508 passing touchdowns with three TD's in the first half alone which resulted in a number of congratulations on the video board from some of the game's greats including one from Favre himself. The 49ers had a chance to make a game out of it early on, but a number of key drops including one by Anquan Boldin on a would be touchdown reception would cause his team to have to settle for a field goal. The lone highlight for Colin Kaepernick and co. would come in the final minute of the first half as the 49ers QB sent his team into the locker room on a high note by connecting in the end zone with receiver Stevie Johnson who has become one of Kaepernick's favorite targets as of late inside the red zone. The touchdown would help pull his team within a 21-10 deficit and would be the only one on the day for Kaepernick. San Francisco's run game would also be ineffective as the tag-team of Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde combined for just 35 yards on 12 carries. As for Denver, running back Ronnie Hillman carried the ball 14 times for 74 yards and a pair of touchdowns on what would be a forgetful night defensively for the 49ers. 

In what would be just another day at the office for Peyton Manning who finished with 318 yards and 4 touchdowns, 8 of his 22 completed passes would be caught by Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas who racked up 171 yards and 2 touchdowns. Kaepernick didn't necessarily have a horrible game by any means, throwing for 263 yards and a touchdown, but an interception on an overthrow and several easy dropped passes would spell doom for the Niners QB who was sacked six times and sat out for much of the fourth quarter as did Manning. The game also marked the first time the 49ers had attempted 40+ passes since 2010 and was the first time under coach Harbaugh, ending a 67 game streak. With 49ers backup QB Blaine Gabbert taking over in the fourth quarter, the former first round pick taken 10th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, threw his first touchdown pass in a 49er uniform by connecting 20-yards out with rookie receiver Bruce Ellington who tallied his first career touchdown. Unfortunately by the, the game would be well out of reach as the 49ers fell to the Broncos, 42-17.

Following the loss, the 49ers dropped to 4-3 on the year while Denver improved to 5-1. With a BYE week in Week 8, the time off comes at a perfect time for a number of ailing 49ers including their leader on defense in Pro-Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis who sat out of Sunday night's game with a toe injury. One player they won't be getting back this season, however, is Daniel Kilgore who was carted off the field with a fractured left leg and will see his season come to an end. Another is cornerback Chris Cook who suffered a hamstring injury, further thinning out San Francisco's secondary. 

Week 9 Preview: Returning home in Week 9 following their BYE, the 49ers will host a division opponent for the first time this season inside their new home -- Levi's Stadium, as they welcome the (2-5) St. Louis Rams. Having beaten the Rams on Monday Night Football just several weeks ago, San Francisco will be on high alert on Sunday when it comes to St. Louis head coach Jeff Fisher's trickery as the Rams pulled a number of tricks from out of their hat just two weeks ago in a win at home over the division-rival Seattle Seahawks. Needing to get back in the groove of things, the meeting should give the 49ers a chance to bounce back in the win column as they look to gain ground on the division-leading Arizona Cardinals (6-1). With both Frank Gore and Anquan Boldin feasting on the Rams throughout their careers, expecting one if not both, to have a big afternoon. 


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Seahawks disarm Manning's Broncos, Win franchises' 1st Super Bowl title in dominant fashion.

What had the makings to be one of the best Super Bowl's in recent years, turned ugly early, falling short of the hype and would be nothing short of a disappointment when the game clock hit double zero. The number one offense taking on the number one defense was just a few ingredients that we thought would eventually concoct a game for the ages, instead the halftime show headlined by Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers provided more entertainment than the game itself. Little did we know the league's highest-scoring offense that set numerous records led by quarterback Peyton Manning would be dismantled by the league's best defense which put up points on the board just 12 second in and never looked back. 

Entering Sunday's game, all the talk was surrounding the legacy of Peyton Manning who one day earlier set an NFL record by winning his fifth MVP Award after his record-breaking season in which he threw for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns. With rumors swirling of this possibly being Peyton's final game, virtually everyone envisioned Manning to ride off into the sunset while hoisting his second career Lombardi Trophy and silencing the critics that have discredited Manning over the years for his lone Super Bowl title. Apparently, Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks didn't get that memo as their defense made Peyton Manning look rather pedestrian on the NFL's biggest stage. With Seattle winning the coin-toss and electing to defer, Denver would start the game off in the worst possible way as the ball sailed over Manning's head and into the end zone on the first play from scrimmage for a safety. The early miscue would be a bad omen of things to come for Denver who found themselves down 2-0 after one play despite Seattle's offense yet to touch the field.

The Seahawks who had zero Super Bowl experience on their entire roster entering the game, simply didn't need it. However, it would be Manning and the Broncos who showed up as if it was their first rodeo. From the first play on, Seattle played like a team possessed where as Denver appeared to have just crawled out of bed, resembling a marching band without their conductor who in this case was Peyton Manning, unsure of what to do or where to go when it came time for battle. By halftime, Seattle had already built a 22-0 lead, scoring on each of their first three offensive possessions (field goal, field goal, touchdown) to go along with a 69-yard interception taken to the house by the eventual Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith. Meanwhile, the Broncos offense which hadn't been shutout in the first half all season long would pick a terrible time to be held to their first goose egg.

Percy Harvin who was brought in during the offseason with high expectations to aid Seattle's aerial attack and special-teams before missing all but two games for the Seahawks this season due to an injury, brought a dimension on offense that Seattle has been unable to show off virtually all year long. But on Sunday Seattle was able to let loose a healthy Harvin who caught the Broncos defense sleeping with a 30-yard run on the Seahawks first possession. He would later put an end to any sort of momentum swing Denver was hoping to open the second half with when he ran back the opening kick 87-yard to begin the third quarter. At that point you knew the Broncos had no chance of pulling off the miraculous comeback as the deficit only grew.

Coming into the game, if anything was supposed to deprive Manning of his second Super Bowl title in three tries, it was the elements which were first thought to be a factor and one that would favor the defense. Instead, the weather ended up not being as big a factor as everyone initially thought as it turned out to be a very cooperative 49 degrees at kickoff, making it the third coldest game in Super Bowl history. But in the end it wouldn't matter as Seattle's suffocating defense proved to be too much for Peyton and company who's only points in the game came on the final play of the third quarter when Manning connected with Demariyus Thomas in the end zone followed by a successful two-point conversion. By then it would be too late as the Broncos dug a hole too big for even the league's best offense to climb out of as Seattle practically eliminated Knoshawn Moreno (17 yards on 5 rushes) and Denver's run game and held them in check when attempting cross routes, both of which are integral components when Denver's offense is at its best.

Seattle was able to put up points on both sides of the ball without running back Marshawn Lynch being much of a factor, something many including myself thought wouldn't be possible without their workhorse having a big day on the ground. Lynch finished the game with fewer rushing yards than Harvin, tallying just 39 yards on 15 carries to go along with his 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Seattle QB Russell Wilson was another name that didn't put up eye-popping numbers but did what he needed to in order for his team to come out victorious at the end of the day as he completed 18 of 25 pass attempts for 206 yards and a pair of second half touchdowns to receivers Jermaine Kearse and Doug Baldwin as the Seattle Seahawks trampled the Denver Broncos, 43-8 in route to their first ever Super Bowl title. With the win, Russell Wilson becomes just the fourth second-year QB to win a Super Bowl, reminding us that a conservative, game manager type of quarterback can win a Super Bowl when backed by a stellar defense.

While Manning who was under constant duress did set a Super Bowl record by completing 34 of 49 pass attempts while throwing for 280 yards, it was the two interceptions in the game he'll most be remembered for as Seattle won the turnover battle: 4-0 after recovering a pair of forced fumbles. Though statistically Manning had the greatest season every by a QB, I think it's safe to say he would have much rather traded in those records for a second Lombardi Trophy as he fails to become the first QB in NFL history to win a Super Bowl title with two different franchises. With the loss, the Denver Broncos have fallen in a record five of seven Super Bowl's. Meanwhile, Manning falls to 11-12 in the postseason, the most losses in postseason history. And while he ranks in the top 3 greatest regular season QB's, he's no Joe Montana when it comes to the biggest game on the biggest stage. Assuming he's healthy, unless he can rally the Broncos to another Super Bowl title in these next three years of his contract, in spite of having a much easier road back to the big game than Seattle who will first have to get through their difficult division, Manning just might go down as the greatest quarterback to ever be held to just one Super Bowl win.

But enough about Manning, it's time to give credit to Seattle's stout defense which has drawn comparisons to the '85 Chicago Bears and held Denver's high-powered offense to just 8-points, the team's fewest since Manning joined the team in 2012. The 2013 Seahawks are proof that defense wins championships, as all eight of the highest-scoring offenses in NFL history have now all came short of winning the Super Bowl. Seattle, the fourth youngest team to win a Super Bowl, also pulled off the third largest margin of victory in Super Bowl history (35 points) in what was a total team effort that took the work and dedication of each and every player on the squad.

Coming into the game, the Denver Broncos were the odds on favorite in what many expected to be a close game at best for Seattle with the Broncos likely to run away with it. Those that did think there would be a lopsided affair thought only Denver was capable of pulling off the blowout. Not even those that did have Seattle winning envisioned a beat down of this magnitude which once again just goes to show how much we know about the grand game of Football.


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Super Bowl XLVIII Preview

With less than a week before Super Bowl Sunday, the table is now set for the big game. And what a game it should be between the league's number one scoring offense versus the league's number one scoring defense. Not only do we have a pair of number one seed's going toe to toe with one another but also a variety of intriguing story lines that leading up to the game appear to almost be bigger than the game itself. But first, allow me to introduce each team. First up we have the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks who narrowly escaped with a 23-17 win over division rival San Francisco in the NFC title game and finished the regular season with a 13-3 record under Pete Carroll. And then there's the AFC Champion Denver Broncos who also finished the regular season at 13-3 under John Fox before knocking off the New England Patriots, 26-16 for the AFC title.

With Seattle seeking their first ever Super Bowl win, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has other plans and has his eyes set on crashing the party and adding a second Super Bowl title to an already decorated resume that includes just about everything. If there's any argument deterring Peyton Manning from the greatest quarterback of all-time discussion, it's the fact that he's only been able to hoist one Lombardi Trophy throughout his career. Something he hopes to change come Sunday. Despite his greatness and the number of achievements, Manning has been standing in the shadow cast by the handful of quarterbacks who have won multiple championships, his brother Eli being one of them. Having set numerous records this season at the helm of the Broncos including most single-season touchdowns (55) and passing yards (5,477), Peyton will in fact set another record when he's awarded his fifth MVP Award at the conclusion of the NFL season, a record he set in 2009. In what's being regarded as the best season by a quarterback in NFL history will mean far less to him if he's unable to put the final cherry on top -- a second Super Bowl title.

As rumors start to swirl of this possibly being Manning's last game due to the ongoing neck problems he's been having, this game could very well determine the legacy of one Peyton Manning. And what better way to go out than on top like his boss -- John Elway who 15 years ago retired after winning back to back Super Bowl titles with the same Broncos franchise. The only difference is Peyton would become the first QB in NFL history to win Super Bowl titles with two different clubs. And with the game being played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, the home shared by the New York Giants and Jets, who better to receive a few helpful hints than from Peyton's younger brother Eli who knows a thing or two about playing quarterback in the stadium playing host to the Super Bowl. One thing Eli won't be able to help his big brother prepare for, however, is Seattle's stout defense. With Peyton yet to be sacked this postseason, the Broncos offensive line will face their toughest task yet come Sunday.

If Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense is story line 1.A, then Richard Sherman and the Seahawks defense is definitely story line 1.B. Boasting the league's best turnover ratio as well as the best trash talker in Sherman, Seattle's defense looks to prevent Peyton from adding a second Super Bowl ring to that crowded trophy case of his. Better known as the "Legion of Boom," Seattle's swarming secondary will gladly welcome the challenge presented by Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense. After all, they do say defense is what wins championships. But that's not to say Sherman and company won't have their hands full as Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker and Julius Thomas all figure to create some trouble in the passing game. Aside from defense, something else that favors the Seahawks despite having no Super Bowl appearance on their entire roster, is history. Though Denver averaged an NFL record 37.9 points per game and became the first team to ever score more than 600 points in a season, all eight of the highest-scoring teams in NFL history have failed to win the Super Bowl. 

But regardless of Seattle's stout defense, they have no chance of winning if they can't put points up on the board which brings us to Peyton's counterpart, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson who on Sunday will become just the sixth second-year QB to start a Super Bowl. Unlike Manning, Wilson serves as a duel-threat quarterback who is just as dangerous with his feet as he is with his arm. His recent transformation into becoming one of the more conservative QB's in the league over the second half of the season and even more so in the last few games, however, is a bit of a cause for concern given it'll prevent him from being able to answer Peyton blow for blow on offense if say a shootout where to break out. We've all heard how the cold, moist weather will favor the defense which once again leans toward Seattle, but Manning who won his only Super Bowl title in the rain, won't have to deal with the elements any more or any less than Wilson will. Not to mention Wilson won't have the support of the 12th Man to rely on granted Sunday will mark the first game away from Seattle in over a month and a half for the Seahawks (December 15).

What I think will be even more important than Seattle's defense on Sunday though is their offense. The key to the game for the Seahawks will be keeping Peyton off the field and what better way to succeed in doing that than with extended drives of their own by utilizing their most dangerous weapon on offense in running back Marshawn Lynch who I think will be the x-factor in Sunday's game. If Denver's defense which seems to be forgotten about in all of this can shutdown Lynch or at least contain him by keeping him away from his bag of Skittles and make him vanish like he did on media day, they can make it difficult for Seattle's offense, forcing Wilson to carry the load and get it done through the air which is more of a last resort for them. Without arguably their best defensive player in Von Miller, Denver held a Patriots rush attack to 64 total yards in the AFC Championship after LaGarrette Blount exploded for 166 yards alone in New England's previous game. With Lynch being the x-factor, Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno could very well be the dark horse given so much attention will be drawn toward Peyton and the passing game that Denver could be the ones in store for a big game on the ground. 

Prediction: After experiencing defeat in his last attempt at a Super Bowl title in 2009 while with the Indianapolis Colts, I don't see anything getting in the way of Peyton adding another piece of hardware to his resume this time around. With everything from the number of records set on offense to John Fox coaching his team to a Super Bowl after undergoing heart surgery earlier in the season and Peyton in position to finalize his legacy, the Denver Broncos just seem like a team of destiny at this point. Not to mention the weather forecast for Sunday that was first thought to spell doom for Peyton and the passing game has only gotten better over the last week or so. And whether or not it'll be the last time we see no.18 on a playing field, expect to see him at the podium hosting the Lombardi Trophy as Denver kisses the ghost of John Elway goodbye and proves to be too much for the Seahawks on neutral ground, 31-20.


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The Magnificent Seven

Thursday evening saw the NFL kickoff the 2013 season in historic fashion as the defending Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens began their title defense on the road against another AFC heavyweight in the Denver Broncos in a much-anticipated rematch of last year's AFC Divisional round match-up. Chosen by many (including myself) as the favorites in the AFC, the Broncos opened the season with a bang. With the game delayed more than 30 minutes due to lightning, there would be no power outage on the field as Peyton Manning and company brought plenty of electricity on offense. But by the looks of things at the half which saw Baltimore take a 17-14 lead into the locker room, the game seemed like just another day at the office for Peyton who had a pair of touchdown passes by halftime. However, the game would be anything but ordinary for the future Hall of Fame quarterback as he would go on to register a performance for the ages.

Seeking revenge against the team that put an end to Denver's Super Bowl hopes last year in an overtime thriller, Peyton Manning set out to dismantle the Ravens defense. He would do just that by leading his team to a 49-27 trouncing of the defending champs, completing 27-of-42 passes for 462 yards and tying an NFL record with seven touchdown passes, becoming only the sixth player in league history to do so and only the second player to accomplish the feat without throwing a single interception. Prior to Manning who logged an unheard of QB rating of 141.1, the last player to throw for seven touchdowns in a game was Joe Kapp of the Minnesota Vikings who reached the mark in 1969. Already regarded as one of the all-time greats to man the quarterback position, the 37-year old Peyton has once again defined greatness with what many are calling his best performance ever. Adding to his already decorated resume, Manning's stellar season-opener also gave him 23 career games with at least 4 touchdown passes which ties Brett Favre for the all-time mark as well as his seventh career game with at least 5 TD tosses, tying him with Drew Brees for the most ever.

Manning distributed his TD passes pretty evenly with pinpoint precision, connecting twice in the endzone with the newly added Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas and tight-end Julius Thomas who stole the show in the first half with Andre Caldwell being the odd man out with only one score. To put Peyton's remarkable 7-touchdown performance into perspective a tad bit easier, the Kansas City Chiefs threw for a total of 8 touchdown passes all of last year. Hall of Fame QB John Elway who is now the executive vice president of football operations for the Broncos, threw for a measly 7 touchdown passes his entire rookie season in 1983. Not to discredit Peyton in anyway but though there's been more praise of the Broncos offense, it could be as much a story on the criticism of the Ravens defense. Baltimore who didn't allow their seventh passing touchdown until week 10 last season, has already seen that total reached in their first game of the year which can't bode well for a team that's predominately known for their defense. 

While the team was somewhat expected to take a step back on defense this season following the departures of Ed Reed, Paul Kruger and the retirement of Ray Lewis, nobody expected a performance or lack there of of this magnitude. After all, no Ravens team has ever allowed 49-points in their 18-year existence. But before we start dubbing the 2013 Baltimore Ravens as the worst defense ever, let's let the dust settle and see how they bounce back at home where Thursday night's game should have been played all along. After failing to strike a deal with the Baltimore Orioles who the Ravens share a parking lot with, John Harbaugh's team was forced to open the season on the road, a rarity for defending Super Bowl champion teams and the first to do it since the 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But back to the man of the hour, Mr. Peyton Manning. I wish I had said this before the start of the season but I'm gonna go ahead and pick Peyton to win the MVP this year. After last night's performance, how could you not? Though the MVP voting polls aren't open just yet, the award is pretty much Peyton's to lose as he's an early favorite to win it.

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Peyton Struggles in Road opener

Heading into the 2012-13 NFL season, the biggest storyline in all of football was how future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning would do in a Denver Broncos uniform following a series of neck surgeries that kept him sidelined the entire 2011-12 season. And while his impressive regular season debut in front of the Denver faithful would have critics raving, most of which were quick to declare the old Peyton Manning had returned, his week 2 performance would tell a different story. After lighting up the Pittsburgh Steelers in week 1 for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19-of-26 passing attempts in route to a 31-19 win, Peyton would get off to a rocky start the following week in his Monday Night meeting at the Georgia Dome against Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons. 

Showing a lack of arm strength early on as well as making a number of questionable passes into double coverage, the guy wearing the no. 18 jersey almost looked like an impostor of one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time as Peyton threw not one, not two, but three first quarter interceptions. Manning's early struggles marked only the second time in his 15-year career that he threw three interceptions in the opening quarter of a game, the only other occurrence came against the San Diego Chargers in 2007. After Manning's disastrous start, it seemed almost as if the guy playing QB in the second quarter was an entirely different person. Despite the 20-0 deficit his team faced, Peyton would redeem himself with a much better final three quarters as he brought his team within single-digits before eventually falling short and losing, 27-21 as the early miscues dug too big of a hole to overcome. 

An early favorite to win the AFC West and even contend for a Super Bowl according to most experts, Peyton Manning is far from his former self and is yet to prove that he can compete at the level that we've grown accustomed to seeing him play at. If I'm Broncos head coach John Fox I'm not too concerned about my quarterback as I know he still has some cobwebs to shake off and will only get better as the season progresses. But I'd still place Denver behind the Texans, Patriots and Ravens in the AFC, at least until Peyton has another full season under his belt with the Broncos and can prove that he can remain healthy. At 1-1, trailing only the 2-0 San Diego Chargers in the division, week 3 won't be a walk in the park for Peyton either as his Broncos get set to host the league's top ranked defense in the Houston Texans. 

Coincidentally, Peyton wasn't the only one in the Manning family who had a first half to forget during week 2 as his younger brother, Eli, also threw three picks on the day, all coming in the first half. But unlike Peyton who's late-game heroics fell just short, Eli was able to overcome his first half difficulties by throwing for 3 touchdowns and 510 yards in the second-best passing performance in Giants franchise history, avoiding a dreadful 0-2 start by defeating the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 41-34.


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49ers Sign Manningham, Enter Peyton Manning Sweepstakes

Last Monday, the 49ers off-season would get off to an exciting start after news broke that the team had signed veteran wide receiver Randy Moss to a one-year deal to help upgrade their receiving corps. Just days later, 49ers GM Trent Baalke would follow that up by signing Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham to a two-year pact. The former New York Giants wide-out who's spectacular fourth quarter grab down the sideline to set up the game-winning drive against the New England Patriots, will now be running routes and receiving passes for the team he helped defeat in January's NFC title game. But just when you thought San Francisco's off-season couldn't get any better, the 49ers have reportedly emerged as a sleeper team in the running for one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game in Peyton Manning.

After informing the Miami Dolphins along with division rivals Seattle and Arizona that they weren't among his finalists on Friday, it was learned that in the midst of all the speculation revolving the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans that Peyton Manning had worked out for the 49ers. According to sources, 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman flew out and met up with the 4-time MVP at Duke University where Manning has been practicing for the past several weeks. After watching him take part in a throwing session, 49ers officials sent a team doctor to North Carolina where Manning underwent a physical exam. While team representatives for both the Broncos and Titans also met with Peyton, as you could imagine, each franchise has had their fair share of endorsers.

With Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway lobbying for Peyton to land in Denver, the Titans on the other hand not only have team owner Bud Adams on the forefront who has said he'd do anything to make Manning a Titan, including offer him a lifetime contract, but they also have the entire state of Tennessee backing him. Manning is beloved in the Volunteer State for his successful college career at the University of Tennessee so much so that a Tennessee diner has offered him free pancakes for life if he signs with the team. The 49ers might not be able to provide Peyton with free pancakes for life, but something they would be able to provide him with is the best possible chance of making it to and winning another Super Bowl. Something former Hall of Fame QB of the 49ers, Steve Young says could be the deciding factor in where Manning chooses to take his talents in 2012. Of the three teams remaining in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, no team appears to be as stacked on both sides of the ball as the San Francisco 49ers do.

Not only do the 49ers possess a dominant rushing attack led by the tandem of Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter, but they also have a wide-receiving corps that just got better with Michael Crabtree and the additions of Randy Moss and Mario Manningham. And not to be forgotten is Pro-Bowl tight-end Vernon Davis. Even more deadly is San Francisco's defense which put up record-setting numbers last season as the top ranked defense in the league. Though San Francisco would be the run away favorites to land Manning in most people's yes given the talent they currently have, those closest to the story are calling it a long shot. But until he writes the 49ers off or signs on the dotted-line elsewhere, let's keep the optimism flowing and keep our fingers crossed.

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Peyton Manning, The End of an Era

After 14 long successful seasons at the helm in Indianapolis, the marriage between star quarterback Peyton Manning and the Colts football team is coming to a screeching halt. Just days after a video of Peyton Manning throwing passes at Duke University for the first time since undergoing a series of neck surgeries went viral after being leaked onto the Internet, Colts owner Jim Irsay has made the decision to move on without the most popular figure to ever don a Colts uniform and arguably one of the greatest QB's of all-time. Amid the speculation of keeping Manning in Indianapolis for at least another year so he could show consensus number one overall draft pick Andrew Luck the ropes before taking on the Colts starting quarterback position, Irsay and company has instead invested in turning the page in hopes of starting a new chapter of Colts football.

Only a year into his 5-year, $90 Million deal signed with the team back in July, the soon to be 36-year old Manning who was hoping to end his career in a Colts uniform, will now try to find work elsewhere which shouldn't be a problem given the many teams that have issues at the quarterback position entering the 2012 season. Sidelined by neck problems in 2011, Manning was forced to miss the entire season, resulting in the team's first losing season in nearly a decade at 2-14, landing the Colts the No. 1 overall pick in April's Draft. A pick they used 14 years earlier to draft Manning out of the University of Tennessee which would breath life back into a Colts organization that had made only three trips to the playoffs since relocating from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984. Manning would match those three postseason appearances in his first five seasons at the helm before adding eight more trips to the playoffs to his resume, including a Super Bowl title in 2006.

Also following Indy's dismal 2011 season were the firings of Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, vice chairman Bill Polian and his son, general manager Chris Polian, all in an effort to give the team a full makeover. With all of them gone, it seemed almost inevitable that Peyton would be next on the list. But as much as the idea was thrown around during the regular season and beyond, nobody thought the possibility would actually come to fruition. But once again proving that the NFL is a business, Irsay decides to set his cash cow free into the wild where he'll be able to help another franchise vie for a Super Bowl title. Manning, who's the all-time leading passer in Colts franchise history, would've been owed $28 Million in bonus money if he was still on the team's roster come Thursday. But according to Colts owner Jim Irsay, the decision to part ways with the 4-time NFL MVP falls into the plans of the team's restructuring and was not financially driven.

It's hard to put into words just what Peyton Manning has meant not only for the Colts franchise, but also for the community of Indianapolis, which is why I believe if there is a homecoming between Manning and the Indianapolis faithful, it'll be a welcoming one with lots of emotion. Unless of coarse he was to steal a page from Brett Favre's book and sign with the archrival New England Patriots. But luckily for them the Pats already have a guy that goes by the name of Tom Brady under center. Instead of waiting until March 13, when free agency officially begins, Manning can sign with another NFL team now if he wanted. But with lots to think about from now until the start of the regular season for the 11-time Pro Bowler, I think it'll be after the draft if not days before when we find out which team Manning will be playing for. And with #18 now on the free-agent market, I think we'll see a similar lobbying campaign for Manning like the one we seen for LeBron James just over a year ago. However, don't be expecting Peyton to hold an hour long special on ESPN entitled "The Decision Part II" for him to announce his destination.

A few of the early suitors rumored to be interested in Manning include the Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns. Is there an unnamed team that you think will make a late push to snag the former Super Bowl MVP? If so, who?

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Manning's Legacy Takes A Blow

As Drew Brees & company are busy celebrating in Disney World and on rafters in what's said to be the biggest celebration in New Orleans parade history, Colts QB Peyton Manning is taking some heavy fire for not shaking hands after Sunday's big game. Instead of congratulating the better team and showing his sportsmanship, Manning was seen walking off the field with his head down. We seen the same thing last year in the NBA, when Cleveland Cavaliers star guard LeBron James decided to hit the showers instead of shaking hands with the eventual Eastern Conference Champion - Orlando Magic, at the result of his team being knocked out the playoffs. James was later fined for not addressing the media. Although James' actions were a bit unsportsmanlike, you would expect that from a young player. But as for Peyton, you would think the league's "best player" and the so called "greatest QB's of all-time" would lead by example.

What shocks me most, is that with all the pregame bonding with one another, a post game handshake would have been the least to expect. Especially given the great show of respect the two have for each other and relationship between both Brees & Manning. One of Manning's favorite targets - WR Reggie Wayne was also seen heading to the locker room without congratulating those who won. Although they may have let everyone who bet on them down, Las Vegas casinos already have them labeled as the favorites to win it all next season. Something else the Colts probably feel they let down is their fan base. A mere 11 fans showed up to show their support and greet the AFC Champion Colts once they landed at an Indianapolis air-port. Someone else who has to feel pretty dumb, is former head coach Tony Dungy who predicted the Colts to win it in a landslide and said, "I'd be surprised if it was a close game."

But the biggest blow regarding the Colts' defeat, is that of Peyton Manning's legacy. The aforementioned "greatest QB of all-time" finds himself 1-1 in Superbowl play. The record 4-time league MVP also finds himself two rings behind rival Tom Brady and one behind Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger. Although he still owns a respected record of .500 on Superbowl Sunday, the loss puts Joe Montana's perfect Superbowl record of 4-4 out of reach. & A mediocre playoff record of 9-9 doesn't seem to help much either. The usual clutch Peyton Manning was anything but that last Sunday and in my eyes unless he wins back-to-back tittles here pretty soon, the talk of him being the "G.O.A.T." should remain in front of Mr. Montana's name. With Manning on the losing end and a Lombardi Trophy now under Drew Brees' belt, many are beginning to ask, "who will be the first to win their second Superbowl ring, Manning or Brees?" Let the discussion begin!

Superbowl XLIV, Saints 31 - Colts 17

Mardi Gras comes early - After 43 years in the making, the New Orleans Saints win their first Superbowl in franchise history by not only defeating, but by upsetting the highly favored Indianapolis Colts by a final score of 31 to 17. Looking at the final score, one would think the Saints dominated the entire game, but that couldn't have been any further from the truth. As the Saints looked a bit sluggish on both offense and defense to start the game, it was the Colts who drew first blood. After a field-goal on their first drive of the game, Peyton Manning would then lead his offense on a 96-yard touchdown drive, tying the 1985 Chicago Bears for the longest in Superbowl history. With an early ten point deficit heading into the second quarter, the Saints would finish the half by scoring 6 of their own, inching closer to a 10-6 score.

The second half would tell a different story as a huge momentum changer would shift the tone of the game in New Orleans' favor. On the opening kick-off of the second half, the Saints showed a bit of trickery by risking an on-side kick. Fortunately after the minute-long dog pile of players fighting for the ball, it was a success as the Saints would recover and score on a Pierre Thomas catch-and-run touchdown 16-yards out, just six plays later, giving them their first lead of the game. The risky kick was also the first ever on-side kick in a Superbowl, prior to the fourth quarter. It also proved to be one of the biggest plays of the game. The only show of life the Colts would have in the second half, would come in Indianapolis' next drive. With a 4-yard touchdown run by RB Joseph Addai, the Colts would regain the lead, but not for long.

The Saints would bounce back with a 47-yard field-goal on their next drive to trail within one. With the field-goal, the Saints' Garrett Hartley became the first kicker in Superbowl history to make three FG's from 40+ yards(46, 44 and 47). Colts kicker Matt Stover who set a feat of his own by becoming the oldest player in a Superbowl at 42 years of age, would try to one-up Hartley in the fourth quarter by kicking a 51-yarder that swung wide left, keeping it a one-point game. The rest of the game would be all Brees who overcame a slow start and tied a Superbowl record of 32 completions, also held by New England's Tom Brady. Brees' last completion would be a 2-yard touchdown pass to WR Jeremy Shockey, giving them a lead they would maintain for the remainder of the game. After the touchdown, the Saints would convert on a reviewed 2-point conversion that was first called no good before being overturned. With the extra two-points, their lead would improve to seven.

With all the pressure in the world now on Peyton Manning, the future Hall of Famer would have just a little over five minutes to march his team down the field to tie the game and possibly win his second Superbowl ring in four years. However, the Saints defense never got that memo. With 3:12 remaining in the game, Saints CB Tracy Porter read Manning perfectly and stepped in front of WR Reggie Wayne, intercepting the ball and returning it 74-yards for a touchdown. The pick-six put New Orleans up by 14 and in route to the city's first ever Superbowl title. Manning would then get one last chance to cut the deficit, but a very catch-able short pass that was dropped in the end-zone by Reggie Wayne sealed the deal as the Colts turned the ball over on downs, resulting in Drew Brees kneeling for the final play of the game with the final seconds ticking away.

After confetti and photographers covered the field, Saints head coach Sean Payton received a Gatorade bath before being lifted on the team's shoulders like a true hero. & For the city of New Orleans, he is a hero with Drew Brees as his sidekick. Combined the two have helped resurrect a city that was once upon a time underwater and in dire need of salvation. & Just four years later, the Saints help reunite those that decided to leave the city with those who stayed by bringing back something the city had missed and lost, their pride. Saints free safety Darren Sharper said it best, "This thing belongs to the people, we're just bringing it back to them." & With the team's parade scheduled to be held tomorrow afternoon and Mardi Gras right around the corner, you better believe the city of New Orleans will be restless and Bourbon street will be bumping for what looks to be a month-long celebration.

One of the more touching moments in recent Superbowl history happened to be after the game, when Saints QB & Superbowl MVP Drew Brees was seen holding and kissing his son during the team's celebration, creating a priceless father-son moment for the ages. Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints on becoming Superbowl Champions. With that being said, Let the party begin!

Noteworthy: The Saints overcame a 10-point deficit to tie the largest comeback win in Superbowl history. The Colts running game was held to under 100 yards, finishing with 99 total rushing yards. With the win, the Saints became the 8th team in NFL history to win it all in their first ever Superbowl appearance. With 106.5 million viewers tuned in around the country to watch the Saints win their first Superbowl in franchise history, Superbowl XLIV became the most watched event in tv history, surpassing the final episode of M*A*S*H back in 1983.