Can the Seattle Seahawks Build the Next NFL Dynasty Following Super Bowl Win?

After the Seattle Seahawks’ dominating and somewhat surprising Super Bowl performance over Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos 43-8, the question on everyone’s mind is whether this team can construct the next NFL dynasty.  The last true dynasty to emerge in professional football was Tom Brady and his New England Patriots, who came to fruition a decade ago and are still very competitive to this day.  But Tom Brady never abused a team in a Super Bowl quite like what we just witnessed, and I suspect that 31 NFL teams are absolutely terrified about competing with the Seahawks in the near future.  Is Seattle going to be unbeatable?

They seem to have all the pieces of the puzzle: A great hard-hitting defense, a strong running game, and a quarterback capable of making plays when necessary.  Perhaps the most important hint that Seattle should find future success is their young age and promising careers up ahead, though as we will discuss, this could become their downfall as well.

The Seattle Seahawks have taken advantage of several great recent drafts and used free agency to fill the voids in order to make this team incredible.  While the early success of star players like Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas, Malcolm Smith, and Russell Wilson is an absolute joy to see, it will present a major problem in roughly 2 years.  Still on their rookie contracts, these key players make up just a miniscule fraction of the team’s salary cap.  But when it comes time for their first paydays, the team will be scrambling to manage their salary cap.

Because of these talented and cheap youngsters, Seattle has used their money on many highly prized free agents in the last few years, including Cliff Avril, Sidney Rice, Red Bryant, Chris Clemons, Percy Harvin, Marshawn Lynch, Brandon Mebane, and Zach Miller.  With each of these players making over $5million, there will be little room for re-signing their superstars unless drastic cuts are made.  Unfortunately, they may begin this year, as playmaking wide receivers like Golden Tate and Doug Baldwin are free agents.  Pass rusher Michael Bennett (who led the team in sacks) is a free agent, as are cornerbacks Walter Thurmond and Brandon Browner.  There is simply too much talent on this team for the general manager to afford.  And while that may seem to be a good problem to have, it could also destroy this roster.

After the celebration and merriment in Seattle concludes, they will have to make adjustments.  The team needs to focus on who their true stars are (Wilson, Sherman, Chancellor, Thomas, and Lynch in my opinion) and focus their big-money contracts on them.  The majority of the rest will either have to make serious financial compromises or take their talents and their paydays elsewhere!  While it will be hard for Seattle to replicate this type of success with new players, this has become the standard for the NFL in the salary cap era, and the Seahawks will have to put faith in their ability to keep drafting playmakers in the future.  Only if they can continue to find impact players through the draft will this team be able to survive its impending departures and truly establish a dynasty.  With the modern NFL having such an even playing field and with its salary cap complications, creating a dynasty is harder now than ever.  But after witnessing last night’s beat down, I think anything is possible with this Seahawks team!

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A Preview of Super Bowl XLVIII: Broncos Take On Seahawks

It’s finally here!  Yes, this is it: The BIG GAME!  In less than a week, all the talk will finally come to a screeching halt.  It won’t matter how big of a tool Richard Sherman is, it won’t matter whether Peyton Manning calls it quits after the game, it won’t even matter that this epic Super Bowl will be played in freezing temperatures outside in New York.  No, on the afternoon of February 2^nd, as the sunshine of the great light that has been the 2013 NFL season drifts across the sky and prepares to set, two teams will proudly march onto a football field and compete for the greatest prize in the sport.  What should we expect, and who will come out on top in this fantastic matchup between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks?

There may be some weather during the game like snow or rain, but I don’t think it really will have any effect on the game.  Remember, this is football, and while both passing offenses would surely prefer a comfortable outing, these pros can catch balls and run routes on any surface.  This will be a game of willpower between the two most talented teams in the NFL.

The hyped up and talked about matchup here is the Broncos’ prolific offense vs. the Seahawks’ hard-hitting defense.  Peyton Manning can gouge defenses and broke many records this year.  The likes of Eric Decker, Damaryius Thomas, and Wes Welker can each make great plays.  But the defenses they have faced have yet to be as nasty and powerful as Seattle’s, with Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor making plays in the secondary, while Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett put the heat on quarterbacks and generate sacks.  In these big games, I often see such top ranked sides result in a stalemate.  I expect the Broncos to put up roughly 20-25 points and the Seahawks to force at least 1 or 2 turnovers.

But what usually dictates such a matchup is the other side of the game: the Seattle offense vs. the Denver defense.  Both are quite average (Seahawks offense was ranked 17^th, the Broncos defense ranked 19^th).  Whichever of these units rises to the task will win Super Bowl XLVIII.  Seattle harbors an excellent young quarterback in Russell Wilson, though he is young and often falls into that labeling of a game manager.  Marshawn Lynch pounds the ball and makes tackling hard for opponents.  His ability to push the pile will have a great influence on the game’s outcome.

Meanwhile the Broncos defense is built around a team cohesiveness that has grown tremendously throughout the season.  They played their best football as the season wound down and into the playoffs (Champ Bailey’s return also helped).  Although superstar pass rusher Von Miller went down and won’t play, the team still generates some pressure through Shaun Phillips and the rest of the team.  In the last 4 games, the Broncos defense has allowed just 15 points per game, and most of those have come in the 4^th quarter with the team leading by a wide margin.  Remember, this includes tremendous playoff games against Philip Rivers and Tom Brady, who were both largely shut down by the defense.

Therefore, I give the edge to the Broncos.  I think they will slow the Seahawks’ rushing offense and force them to pass.  A couple early Manning touchdown passes will put immense pressure on Seattle to score.  With the ball in Wilson’s youthful hands, expect some costly mistakes late in the game.  I’ll take the Broncos’ experience over Seattle’s talent any day of the week.  Manning will be riding off into the sunset as a Super Bowl champion again, and the Denver Broncos will win this game 24-14.

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Are the Seattle Seahawks America’s Villains Heading to Super Bowl XLVIII?

To me, something strange happened last night as the Seattle Seahawks booked their ticket to Super Bowl XLVIII with an NFC Championship victory over the San Francisco 49ers; the Seahawks became the villains!  They will head to the big game in New York City with the vast majority of casual fans rooting against them.  Here are some things that swayed me in this thinking:

The NaVorro Bowman situation:  The All-Pro 49ers linebacker made an incredible play in the fourth quarter of the game, stripping Jermaine Kearse at the sideline and holding on to the ball, all while sustaining a potentially career-ending injury to his knee.  He fell on the play with the ball and should have been ruled down.  However, the officials made a grave mistake and didn’t rule him down, thus the injured player was swarmed by a scrum for the ball.  Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch ended up with it, but can we really applaud him for ripping the ball out of someone’s hands while they are in agony?  If anything, that’s just dirty play.  Adding insult to injury is that the obvious call was for some reason unreviewable (how is it that there is always a terribly controversial play that’s unreviewable?  Why don’t we just make everything reviewable?).  Further cementing disgust with this team from Seattle was that Bowman had popcorn thrown onto him while he was carted off the field...real classy, Seattle…

Speaking of classy, let’s talk about Richard Sherman, the self-proclaimed best cornerback in the NFL!  While there is no doubt that he made a tremendous play to win the game, his actions afterwards displayed the complete opposite of sportsmanship.  He hardly celebrated with his teammates before running over to pat 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree on the bum, then he went and gave a choke sign to Colin Kaepernick, and then he gave us a postgame interview for the ages, talking himself up and telling Crabtree to shut up.  Richard Sherman is an absolute clown and is now the most hated player in football!

But even before yesterday’s events, the Seahawks have been much maligned.  With 5 suspensions for performing enhancing drugs since 2010, they have been the most affected team.  They also have the most defensive back penalties this season, and have been exposed as cheaters, who hold onto receivers at an alarmingly high rate, knowing that many penalties go unnoticed.  Their head coach, Pete Carroll, arrived from USC where the school’s football program fell into disarray due to NCAA violations that he instituted (he ditched the school right before the mess became public).  The Seahawks have also benefitted from several high profile refereeing errors.  In addition to the Bowman incident, there was the heinous “Fail Mary” episode last year in which the Seahawks were erroneously granted a last second touchdown to beat the Green Bay Packers (I still growl whenever I hear talk about Russell Wilson and his incredible home record!).  And the way the team acted upon winning the game…it was like they had already won the Super Bowl.  Sorry boys, but the toughest test is up ahead…

If there is one hope for football fans, it’s that the “sheriff” is coming to town.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Peyton Manning is here to save the day.  If there’s any team that can put these annoying sea pigeons to bed it’s Manning and the Denver Broncos.  Go watch Manning’s postgame remarks after the AFC Championship game.  He speaks about how great his “team” is.  He is entirely thankful and humbled by the opportunity he has.  He doesn’t talk about how he’s the greatest quarterback to ever play the game (though he actually is), he doesn’t call out opponents and throw insults.  In fact he called Tom Brady, his defeated competitor, “great.”  He has been the league’s most beloved and respectable character throughout his great career.  And so America at large will clearly be supporting the Broncos in the Super Bowl.  Here’s to hoping that Manning abuses Sherman all day and throws for 400 yards and 6 scores, leading the Broncos to a thrashing over the Seahawks!  May Richard Sherman get burned on several obvious pass interference calls and go crying into the locker room without shaking anyone’s hand following the beating.

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Peyton Manning and Tom Brady Set for Another Epic Duel

This is a rivalry that has dominated the NFL for the past decade.  Both quarterbacks are sure to be in the Hall of Fame and have set and broken each other’s records for several years now.  Although their respective paths to the NFL were nearly polar opposites, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are now going to square off for yet another memorable duel with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.  And with both quarterbacks in the twilight of their careers, this could possibly be the last such matchup with such high stakes at play.  The upcoming AFC Championship could define who gets the last laugh in this famous rivalry!

While Manning was the top pick in the 1998 NFL draft, Brady was picked 199^th in 2000, deep within the 6^th round.  For such a lowly drafted player to even become a starter is a tremendous achievement, but Brady has become one of the greatest quarterbacks ever!  In many respects, he has had an even better career than Manning.  Brady has won 3 Super Bowls, played in 5, and has an 18-7 playoff record that stands as the best ever.  Manning’s achievements are more about the regular season, where he has won a record 4 NFL MVP awards, though he also has 1 Super Bowl ring from 2 appearances.  However, he is often ridiculed for his poor play in the postseason, and has just a 10-11 record after last week’s success.

Throughout the years, Brady and the New England Patriots have dominated this rivalry, owning a 10-4 all time record over Manning mostly during his time with the Indianapolis Colts.  However, Manning did orchestrate a monumental comeback from down 21-3 to winning the AFC Championship game in 2006 en route to winning his Super Bowl.  But in their matchup early this season it was the Patriots coming from down 24-0 to win over Manning and the Denver Broncos back in November.  These are clearly two players who never give up!

So what should we expect this time around?  Peyton Manning and the Broncos have more talent, evidenced by their record-breaking offense highlighted by Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, and Eric Decker.  The Patriots meanwhile have been patchwork all season long.  Their two dominant pass-catching tight ends weren’t able to play much.  Aaron Hernandez is headed to prison for murder while Rob Gronkowski only played several game before tearing 2 ligaments in his knee.  They have had to organize the offense around Julian Edelman and Stevan Ridley.  However, their main emphasis of attack centers around their running back LaGarrette Blount.  Brady only threw 25 passes in their last game as Blount ran with power and success.

But with the Broncos offense firing on all cylinders, Brady is likely to have to pass in a game that could easily become a shootout.  Manning clearly has more weapons and talent around him, and he has the full backing of the Denver fans behind him too.  But there’s something about the Patriots.  They are a team that can pick apart an opponent like no other, and they always come to play when the stakes are at their highest.  Head coach Bill Belichick is an absolute genius when it comes to football and I think that the Broncos will get slowed down just enough for the Patriots to win this game.  Blount’s yardage on the ground will keep Manning on the sideline for much of the game and I think Brady will have the last laugh.  Expect the Patriots to be headed to the Super Bowl after winning this one: 28-24.

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Are the Denver Broncos the Best Team in NFL History?

Through 5 games, the Denver Broncos look to be the best team ever in the NFL.  The numbers speak for themselves:  Their 46 points per game is a full 16 points higher than the Dallas Cowboys, who are in 2^nd place this year.  They are averaging nearly 500 yards per game.  Quarterback Peyton Manning has already thrown 20 touchdown passes to just 1 interception.  That’s more than twice the touchdown passes by Aaron Rodgers, Matt Schaub, Andrew Luck, and Tom Brady.  So while the Broncos are clearly playing head and shoulders above everyone else today (particularly on offense), is this team the greatest we’ve ever seen?  And should we now put our entire life saving’s on this sure bet to win Super Bowl XLVIII?

At 5-0, the Broncos have been perfect, but we all know this is a long season, and those ’72 Miami Dolphins are the lone team to sustain it throughout an entire year.  Recent seasons have seen similar early displays of dominance.  The 2007 Patriots actually went 16-0 during the regular season and put up most of the NFL records that the Broncos will be chasing.  The 2011 Green Bay Packers started 13-0, and Aaron Rodgers went on to break the single season quarterback rating with 122.5 (Manning’s 2013 rating is currently 136.4).  It is worth pointing out though that neither of those tremendous teams won the Super Bowl that year.

The problem with blazing hot starts to an NFL season is that you risk running out of steam.  The Super Bowl champion is usually the team that clicks towards the end of the season, not the start.  Passing becomes more difficult as the temperatures drop, so the games begin to revolve around clock management and rushing attacks.  Knowshon Moreno is off to a decent start this year, but it may have a lot to do with opposing defense’s current pre-occupation in defending Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, and Eric Decker.  Also, the Broncos may have a fumbling problem with 6 fumble losses on the year (only the New York Giants have more with 7).

Another common trait among Super Bowl champions is a strong defense.  The jury is still out on the Broncos’ defense.  Although they rank 29^th in yards allowed, their 8^th rank in points allowed resembles an ability to hold down the fort. Also, remember that superstar linebacker Von Miller hasn’t played a single snap this year.  After recording 18 sacks last season, Miller could vastly boost this defense and help terrorize opponents.

Therefore, I think we should optimistic about the Broncos’ Super Bowl chances, but we need to exercise some patience.  Yes, this team is on pace to shatter quite a few records, but when temperatures drop and the team faces some real adversity, we will get a stronger sense of their true capabilities.  It’s also worth mentioning that the Broncos have had a fairly soft schedule up to this point, with their opponents combining to a 9-16 record (excluding games against Denver it is 9-11).  Looking ahead, there are really only 4 tough games on the schedule (2 against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs, 1 against the Patriots, and 1 mouth-watering date with Manning’s former team, the Indianapolis Colts).  We will probably have to wait until the NFL playoffs to determine how special this Denver Broncos team really is, and should wait until they actually win the Super Bowl before we start declaring them the best team ever.

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A Second Peyton Manning?

Get this! A very diehard Chicago Bears fan told all of his friends that if the Bears lost to the Indianapolis Colts, he would change his name to Peyton Manning. Scott Wiese of Decatur, IL, promised his friends that he would change his name, however, it is unlikely he will be a professional football player with the great talents of the original Peyton Manning.

Wiese has actually started the process as he promised in the Macon County Court system. He still has to obtain approval from the judge.

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Super Bowl 41

The Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears clashed in Super Bowl XLI while the unpredictable skies of Southern Florida produced rain causing players to make sloppy plays throughout the night.

Even though the rain made for one sloppy and interesting game, it was still predictable as Chicago Bears Quarterback Rex Grossman faltered allowing the Indianapolis Colts to smother the Bears and win the ultimate game, with a score of 29-17. The Indianapolis Colts had not won a Super Bowl since they left Baltimore in 1984. This was also Peyton Manning's first appearance and first win which was overdue.

As usual, Grossman was inconsistent and became rattled when pressured. He threw interceptions to cornerback Kelvin Hayden and safety Bob Sanders in a span of less then two minutes. Hayden was able to return his interception for 56 yards for a touchdown. Grossman committed three of the Bears five turnovers and almost committed a fourth when he fumbled the ball but recovered it quickly to retain the possession. Grossman also had problems with his footing and was sacked twice on two consecutive plays causing a major loss in yards.

After the game, Grossman stated, "I'm going to get away from this as much as I can." He was asked where he was going and Grossman was only able to respond by shrugging his shoulders. Maybe it will be far from Chicago permanently as the fans that refer to him as "Bad Rex" and "Train Rex" may not want him to return.

Despite the Colts impressive defense that recovered five turnovers (with one resulting in a touchdown) and top performances by Rookie Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes (both combining for 264 yards), Manning received top honors by receiving the MVP Award. Manning threw for 247 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Peyton Manning is sure to make the Hall of Fame after he retires as he has been an exceptional performer throughout his career and now has one Super Bowl title under his belt. Manning will surely return to the Super Bowl and will probably win more before he leaves.

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