$.01--In the battle of record-setting offense versus top-rated defense, the war was over quickly. The Seattle Seahawks\' defense completely dominated the Denver Broncos\' offense from the very first play of the game, an errant snap from a nervous offensive line.
They had right to be nervous up front, because Seattle’s defensive front beat them in the way the US Armed Forces stormed Grenada in 1983. Waves of pressure from Cliff Avril and company made Peyton Manning look like Joey Harrington, lacking composure and throwing wildly off target.
The final nail in the coffin came on the opening kickoff of the second half. A buddy (hi Chris!) texted me at halftime if his Broncos had any chance. I told him that Denver needed to score within five inutes. Instead, Percy Harvin ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown for Seattle, pushing the lead to 29-0.
A pathetic defensive effort on a simple catch by Jermaine Kearse, who easily dodged four Broncos as he bulled into the end zone to make it 36-0, sent many viewers to the exits.
Seattle’s physicality was expected, but the impact of their speed is what really flummoxed Denver. The Seahawks team speed exposed the matchup problems that the Broncos really couldn’t compensate for at all.
The only real drama was whether Denver would score, and who would be MVP. The Broncos did finally crack the end zone, a great catch by record-setting Demaryius Thomas, but that would be their only highlight.
Linebacker Malcolm Smith won the MVP for his pick-six that put an exclamation point on the game. My vote would have gone to either Kam Chancellor or Cliff Avril, or perhaps Percy Harvin. Nothing against Smith, who was all over the field, but he was more the beneficiary of great play by the others. Such is the NFL voting media, I guess.
$.02-- One of the side effects of Seattle’s dominating win is how it impacts the draft. Everyone will now move to try and get speed all over the field.
It’s easier said than done. One of the reasons it works in Seattle is that their coaching staff is chock full of excellent teachers who place a major emphasis on player development. Not all teams have that commitment to turning raw size/speed potential into legit football production, unfortunately.
Having said that, some players likely earned a lot of draft money thanks to what happened in the Super Bowl. Undersized speed rushers like Auburn’s Dee Ford and Boise State’s Demarcus Lawrence figure to cash in.
So will giant corners with a physical bent. Guys like Stanley Jean-Baptiste of Nebraska, Keith McGill of Utah and Pierre Desir of Lindenwood all earned a lot of money just for being tall, thanks to Richard Sherman and the Legion of Boom secondary.
Linebackers who swarm to the ball and have cover skills like K.J. Wright and Malcolm Smith saw their stock elevated too. That’s good news for BYU’s Kyle Van Noy, Ohio State’s Ryan Shazier, and Iowa’s Christian Kirksey.
$.03-- Frequent readers know my musical tastes go a lot harder and darker than Bruno Mars. He’s pleasant enough that I won’t immediately turn away from his music if I’m somehow exposed to it, but infectious pop is just not my bag. I’m a metalhead with an affinity for progressive rock and Finnish folk metal, listening to bands most have never heard of.
Yet I loved his halftime show. This guy entertains. I love that he had an energetic band up there with him, and they brought it too. His songs are catchy and make you want to dance and feel good.
It was a very welcome change from past years. From the wardrobe malfunction to the rotting carcasses of The Who, from the self-aggrandizing spectacle of the Black Eyed Peas to the strange mélange of Madonna and LMFAO (remember them?!), halftime has been time to get away from the television for far too long.
Not this year. Mars earned almost universal kudos and respect from Twitter, which can be a very harsh critic of everything. The Red Hot Chili Peppers actually blended in fairly well, which is not easy for them. Their energy level had to max out to match Mars, and the funky vibe meshed nicely.
Would anyone really object if they brought Bruno Mars back in a couple of years for an encore performance? You know, let someone else handle next year and then triumphantly return Mars to center stage.
$.04--The ads.
This wound up being the focal point of the game after halftime, and maybe even before that. I missed a couple of series of them during the third quarter, but here are my highlights and lowlights.
Favorites:
--Radio Shack with a self-aware nod to their staid image and a cavalcade of 80s icons.
--Toyota’s ad featuring Terry Crews and the Muppets. Because I still love the Muppets.
--Hyundai Genesis with the youngster not paying attention
--David Beckham for H&M, which was also my wife’s favorite. Wonder why…
--Volkswagen angel wings piece
--Sonos wireless music system. I can’t afford it, but damn I want it after that ad!
Misses:
--I know it makes me a bad human to dislike a benevolent ad for a fantastic cause, but the Chevy ad for World Cancer Day chose a terrible venue to lay such a heavy tone.
--Doberhuahua. I don’t know what the ad was for, and I didn’t like it
--U2. Another benevolent cause trying too hard to bring weight to America’s biggest party.
--Heinz ketchup. Disclaimer here is that I cannot stand ketchup.
--Jerry Ricecake. Thanks for making my draft mailbag a lot worse, NFL Network…
--Butterfinger chocolate and peanut butter. Too weird.
$.05--The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the Class of 2014 on Saturday. It’s a strong class:
Walter Jones
Aeneas Williams
Andre Reed
Ray Guy
Claude Humphrey
Michael Strahan
Derrick Brooks
Jones, Strahan and Brooks were no-brainers, locks to get in sooner than later. Walter Jones might be the best all-around talent in a truly golden era of NFL tackles. He joins Willie Roaf, Jon Ogden, and Larry Allen in the Hall, and they’ll soon be joined by Orlando Pace.
Strahan was somewhat polarizing while he played, but his ability to sack the quarterback was rare. His candidacy was likely aided by his national prominence and likability.
Brooks is the consummate Tampa-2 outside linebacker. His range and speed allowed him to make plays that others couldn’t come close to making.
Guy and Humphrey were the senior committee selections. It’s about time they inducted a punter, and Guy was the greatest at his position for decades. He’s since been surpassed by fellow Raider Shane Lechler, but that’s beside the point. Humphrey was a little before my time, unfortunately.
The two questionable inductees are Williams and Reed. I have no problem with Williams getting in, as he was an interception machine and one of the most versatile defenders of the 1990s and early 2000s. Reed also belongs in the Hall for his outstanding and prolonged productivity on those great Buffalo teams of the late 80s and 90s. I wouldn’t argue the merit of either man as a legit Hall of Famer.
But two players who did not make it should have been inducted before them. It’s almost criminal that Charles Haley is not yet enshrined. The only man with five Super Bowl rings was a major reason why each of those teams got rings, as he was one of the most devastating pass rushers of the modern era. Sure, he was a jerk to the media and often to teammates, but few impacted the game the way he did.
The other player who belonged is Tim Brown. Compare the numbers between Brown and Reed:
Brown’s career numbers are here, while Reed’s are here, both courtesy of Pro Football Reference. Keep in mind that or most of Reed’s career he was catching balls from fellow HOFer Jim Kelly, while Brown dealt with quarterbacks like Donald Hollas, Jeff Hostetler, and Jay Schroeder.
Still, it’s a very strong class that will be well-received in Canton in August.
