Unfortunately, last night’s Super Bowl also featured something that is all too common in the aftermath of big, epic sporting events: dumb things.

And here are the two dumbest, one from a writer and one from the supermodel wife of the game’s most visible star.

Wilbur’s Words:

The Dumbest Article Written About Super Bowl 46

There is nothing I can say about Eric Wilbur’s Super Bowl 46 article, which was posted literally minutes after the game ended, that would do its idiocy justice. So let’s just let Wilbur’s own words stand on their own and serve as the harshest rebuke of his nonsensical post-Super Bowl piece.

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

The legend is dead, the prince has turned back into a frog, and…well, use whatever other cliché you want.

A performance as bad as Tom Brady’s tonight in Super Bowl XLVI deserves a lead just as lame.

Sorry, Tommy Boy, this one’s on you. Your hideous performance led to the Giants’ 21-17 Super Bowl title win. How embarrassing for your coach, your teammates, and your fans.

He goes on from there, including this line:

What an embarrassment for the Patriots organization and Bob Kraft.

I’m not going to pull out any more awful lines from the piece, nor do I really encourage you to read anymore of it. You’re better off going to the nearest bathroom and just sticking your head in a toilet bowl for 10 minutes.

If anyone could watch that game and say that Tom Brady was “bad” or “hideous” or “embarrassing” they are either a football idiot or a writing troll. Either way, that person shouldn’t be writing postgame articles about the Super Bowl for a site like Boston.com.

Eric Wilbur: you sir are the embarrassment.

Update: To read a far better and more substantive critique of Wilbur’s article, read this by Andy Hutchins at SB Nation. And give Wilbur credit for not shying away from the criticism and responding to folks on Twitter about it. I can’t completely tell if he’s standing behind the article or trying to say it was laced with sarcasm. Either way, it wasn’t good; but then again, in fairness, I’ve written my own fair share of duds too.

And now onto the other dumbest thing about Super Bowl XLVI, which features a wonderfully attractive woman (who clearly would agree with me about Wilbur) choosing a stupendously stupid time to say a true-but-unnecessary thing after the game.

Gisele’s Comments:

The Dumbest Thing Said About Super Bowl 46

As you have surely heard by now, Tom Brady’s wife made some rather controversial comments in the aftermath of her hubby’s disappointing Super Bowl loss. And if you haven’t heard them, here they are, with video below via Deadspin by way of The Insider:

“You’ve to catch the ball when you’re supposed to catch the ball. My husband cannot fucking throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can’t believe they dropped the ball so many times.”

1. She clearly loves her husband and understands how important a moment like this is for him, and her frustration at the loss is understandable.
2. In the immediate aftermath of a game like the Super Bowl, especially one as closely contested as this one, anyone with a vested interest like a family member is going to be emotional.
3. She isn’t actually wrong; Brady wasn’t perfect last night, but he was mostly very good, and there were a number of key drops by usually sure-handed Patriots receivers.
4. In moments like these, I assume that famous people would much prefer to not be famous so that they can deal with their emotions outside the view of the leering press and the voyeuristic public.

So I can empathize with Gisele.

But it doesn’t make her choice of words or their timing any less dumb.

She has to know that everything she says and does until locked away in the privacy of a town car or hotel room is going to watched, taped, and dissected. And she also must understand how important the concept of TEAM is to the Patriots, even if she doesn’t understand much about the game itself. To throw Brady’s receivers under the bus like that undermines the win-as-a-team-lose-as-a-team mantra Brady himself espouses constantly.

No, no one is taking this as Brady throwing his receivers under the bus by proxy, but it isn’t going to do anything to help soothe Wes Welker’s obvious distress to hear that Gisele laid the blame right at his feet. And you can say he won’t care about the comments, and no in the long-run he won’t. But I bet the guy is still feeling pretty down about himself, whether you think he should be or shouldn’t be, and seeing these comments will just be another subtle and unnecessary punch to the gut, plus a needless mini-controversy that Gisele’s reeling husband need not be subjected to even peripherally.

So give Gisele kudos for being a stand-by-her-man kind of gal. She’s certainly proven her worth as a football wife in terms of being supportive. But Tom may want to sign her up for a few classes in Media Management taught by Professor Belichick at Foxboro University.

For someone like Gisele, “media” attention doesn’t just occur when microphones are in your face. It is ubiquitous. And as a by-extension part of the Patriots family, she would do well to execute the Patriot Way a little better in times like these.

Because, amazingly, that’s exactly what the first scoring play was tonight.

Tom Brady, on the Patriots’ first play from scrimmage, dropped back into his own end zone and fired it down the center of the field. The only problem is that no receivers were in the area. That’s a safety folks.

Here is the video:

The Giants and Patriots are preparing to face off in Indianapolis, and it may surprise many to find out that Peyton Manning is not taking part in the game. He has been talked about so much this week that is may seem like he is preparing to play. It is his home stadium, for now, but Eli of course will be the only Manning taking part in the game.

Super Bowl 46 Preview: New York Giants

The Giants come in as underdogs, but many are picking them as the favorites. They have won their last five games, and their last two wins have come against the top two seeds in the NFC in Green Bay and San Francisco.

New York beat the Pats once this season, which came in Week 9. The teams combined to score 31 points in the fourth quarter, but the Giants held on to win 24-20. The Patriots outgained the Giants 438-361, but four turnovers by the Pats were the difference in the game.

The key for the Giants will be to get the running game going early. They were the worst team in the NFL in terms of rushing yards during the regular season, but they rushed for 111 yards against New England in Week 9. Getting Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw going early will let the Giants dictate the game and keep the ball away from Tom Brady.

On defense, the Giants have turned it around since they were 7-7. They finished the year by allowing 14 points in consecutive games and have allowed a total of 37 points in the first three postseason games. A healthy defensive line will give the Pats’ trouble all game, and will help keep the score low.

Super Bowl 46 Preview: New England Patriots

The Patriots barely made it to Indy and can thank Lee Evans and Billy Cundiff for their berth in the Super Bowl. After a commanding victory over the Broncos, the Patriots barely won two weeks ago against the Ravens. Baltimore is a tough football team, but New England will have to play much better this week if they want to win the Super Bowl.

Tom Brady was held to 239 yards passing last week and threw two interceptions. That is the same number of interceptions that he threw against the Giants in their first meeting this season. He will have to be much more careful with the ball, as the Giants defense is even better than they were earlier in the year.

ROB GRONKOWSKI.

His name has been mentioned so many times this week because he was wearing a walking boot, but he is in fact playing. This should come as a surprise to no one, as Gronk would only miss this game if he could not help his team at all. The actual news lies in how much he will be able to help his team, as he and Tom Brady hooked up for 17 touchdowns during the regular season. He is a key component to the Patriots offense, and his production will be talked about throughout the game.

The Patriots defense has to play better than they have been all year. They allowed 398 yards to an average Baltimore offense last week and were 31st in passing defense during the regular season. The Packers found out the hard way that having a bad defense will catch up to you eventually, but the Patriots will try to survive one more game with their weak defense.

Super Bowl 46 Pick

Eli will back up his claims of calling himself elite, while also winning his second Super Bowl in his brother’s home stadium.

Prediction: Giants 30 | Patriots 24

Eli Manning finally earned some respect by leading the Giants to a Super Bowl 42 upset of New England. He can gain even more respect on Sunday.

 **********

Super Bowl 46 Game Info: New York Giants v New England Patriots

• Super Bowl 46 Date: Sunday, February 5th
• Super Bowl 46 Time: 6:29 ET
• Super Bowl 46 TV: NBC
• Super Bowl 46 Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Super Bowl 46 Point Spread: Patriots -3
• Super Bowl 46 Over-Under: 55

As of Sunday, here is the Super Bowl XLVI Point Spread: Patriots -3 (even); Giants +3 (-120).

What the line means is that you would need to bet $100 to win $100 if you chose New England, but if you opted for New York, you would need to lay down $120 to win $100.

The over/under for the 2012 Super Bowl is 54, with (-110) on each side of the line. If you wanted to win $100 on the bet, you would need to wager $110.

Super Bowl 2012 Spread and Over-Under Analysis

When the Patriots and the Giants met in Week 10 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, New York came away with a 24-20 victory. It’s interesting that the final margin from this game has shifted seven points and the over-under has risen by 10.

Brady and Belichick after their first Super Bowl win. Can they make it four?

For reference, here are the final spreads, over/unders, and final scores from the last 10 years, dating back to Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s first Super Bowl against the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

Super Bowl XLV: Packers (-3) over the Steelers, over/under of 45. Final score – Green Bay 31, Pittsburgh 25. Packers win and cover the spread and the over hits.

Super Bowl XLIV: Colts (-5) over the Saints, over/under of 57. Final score – New Orleans 31, Indianapolis 17. Colts lose and do not cover and the under hits.

Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers (-7) over the Cardinals, over/under of 46. Final score – Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23. Steelers win but do not cover and the over hits.

Super Bowl XLII: Patriots (-12) over the Giants, over/under of 55. Final score – New York 17, New England 14. Patriots lose and do not cover and the under hits.

Super Bowl XLI: Steelers (-4) over the Seahawks, over/under of 47. Final score – Pittsburgh 21, Seattle 10. Steelers win and cover and the under hits.

Super Bowl XL: Colts (-7) over the Bears, over/under of 47. Final score – Indianapolis 29, Chicago 17. Colts win and cover and the under hits.

Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots (-7) over the Eagles, over/under of 46.5. Final score – New England 24, Philadelphia 21. Patriots win but do not cover and the under hits.

Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots (-7) over the Panthers, over/under of 37.5. Final score – New England 32, Carolina 29. Patriots win but do not cover and the over hits.

Super Bowl XXXVII: Raiders (-4) over the Buccaneers, over/under of 44. Final score – Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 31. Raiders lose and do not cover and the over hits.

Super Bowl XXXVI: Rams (-14) over the Patriots, over/under of 53. Final score – New England 20, St. Louis 17. Rams lose and do not cover and the under hits.

Final tally from the past 10 Super Bowls:

• Favorite wins and covers: 3
• Favorite wins but do not cover: 3
• Underdog wins: 4
• Over: 4
• Under 6

There have been a wide array of outcomes in the past ten Super Bowls. Only three favorites have covered, so recent history is on the Giants’ side, as is seemingly everyone else.

The other thing to note is that each of the four Super Bowls featuring Tom Brady have finished with a three-point final margin, with Brady winning three of those games.

So are you a believer in historical trends? Or do you think that it’s time for a different outcome?

My gut feeling is that it’s going to be a high scoring game, covering the over easily. I like New England by two touchdowns, winning 38-24. I don’t have a real good reason for this, other than the fact that Bill Belichick won’t let Tom Coughlin beat him twice.

As usual, by Saturday pretty much every angle of the Super Bowl has been picked apart, dissected, twisted inside and out, and we have all reached the stage of fatigue where we pretty much stay away from football today before totally immersing ourselves in it tomorrow.

But it hit me today that one video clip I thought I’d see a lot of this week, but that I’m not sure I’ve seen even once on TV – granted, I haven’t watched too much Super Bowl coverage on TV – is Tom Brady’s infamously smug response to Plaxico Burress’ score prediction before the first Patriots-Giants Super Bowl four years ago.

You’ve seen it before, like multiple times, but enjoy the Brady smugness one more time just for old time’s sake:

Burress predicted a 23-17 Giants victory, which seemed like a foolishly brash thing to do at the time, but it didn’t look quite so bad after the Giants shocked the heavily-favored Patriots 17-14 in a Super Bowl classic.

Brady met Burress’ prediction with understandable consternation and contempt considering how high-powered a machine his offense had been during the regular season. Because the Patriots lost their last game of that season, it is easy to forget just how dominant they were for most of the regular season. I mean, look at that. Only once in the regular season did the Patriots score fewer than 27 points before the paltry 14 they put up in the Super Bowl.

Who knows how much anyone could have or should have read into Brady’s response to Burress at the time, but there certainly seemed to be a bit of overconfidence on the part of the Patriots in that game, and perhaps that overconfidence coupled with a lot of bounces going the Giants way is what ultimately led to the perfect Pats’ undoing.

At the time of Brady’s quote,, New England was 18-0 and on the precipice of immortality. Ever since then, there has been a slow and steady erosion of his play in big games.

Here is what Brady has done in playoff games since uttering his now infamous response to Plaxico Burress:

•  29-48, 266 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT in 17-14 Loss to Giants
• 23-42, 154 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT in 33-14 Loss to Ravens
• 29-45, 299 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT in 28-21 Loss to Jets
• 26-34, 363 yards, 6 TD, 1 INT in 45-19 Win over Broncos
• 22-36, 239 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT in 23-20 Win over Ravens

Here are the totals:

•  129-205 (62.9%), 264 ypg, 11 TDs, 7 INTs, 22.8 points per game in 5 games

And if you remove the best (Denver) and worst (Baltimore) games from the bunch:

• 80-129 (62%), 268 ypg, 3 TD, 3 INTs, 18.3 points per game in 3 games

This last line is probably the best and most fair snapshot of the “new” playoff Tom Brady. As cemented as his place is in the history of the National FOOTBALL LEAGUE, he has become a mediocre postseason quarterback.

Granted, he doesn’t have a weapon like Randy Moss anymore, he’s had to deal with injuries to wide receivers, and 18.3 points used to be enough to win with the vintage Belichick defenses that the Patriots no longer employ; but Tom Brady built his legend on superlative playoff performances, and frankly he hasn’t had one in a close game since uttering the infamous words in the video above.

And you can say it’s a somewhat arbitrary moment in time to have chosen for an analysis like this…but is it?

I don’t think for one second Brady or the Patriots ever expected to lose that game. When you feel invincible, and are emphatically proven otherwise, maybe your sports psyche takes a hit, and it manifests itself in the biggest moments. We’ve seen it happen to Tiger Woods, though for far, far different circumstances. But there is a parallel between these two all-time great closers enduring invincibility shattering moments and then suddenly seeming to get a bit rattled when it comes time to close.

Of course, Tom Brady can erase all of this loose conjecture on my part with a great performance tomorrow and his fourth Super Bowl title. Besides, win or loss he’s sauntering into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot, and deservedly so.

But here’s the thing about Tom Brady: I used to always trust him in big moments. I used to always think he’d come through. I knew he’d come through. But tomorrow, in the biggest of big games, against his largest nemesis over the last half decade, I will be more surprised than anything if Brady delivers a great performance that leads the Patriots to victory.

If you told Brady this in ’08, he might have smugly said, “Jerod said that?” (before then wondering “Who the hell is Jerod Morris?”)

The fact is though, Tom Brady has earned some doubt since Super Bowl 42. And one of the most fascinating aspects of tomorrow’s game for me will be watching to see if he can reverse that and restore some of the faith he always used to inspire in big games.

If New England is going to win, he sure as hell better.

And he and the Pats might want to put up more than 14 points too.

I’m a Packers fan, so I’ve been on both sides of the spectrum. Last season, I could not wait for the Super Bowl to come, the anticipation building each and every day.

This season? I can’t wait for it to be over.

Super Bowl Quarterbacks

The one thing that the down time between the games does provide is time to analyze and break down individual matchups, specifically at quarterback.

This year’s Super Bowl QB matchup, between Tom Brady and Eli Manning and their four combined rings, is a great one. It’s perhaps one of the most highly anticipated QB matchups in Super Bowl history.

Super Bowl quarterbacks Tom Brady and Eli Manning (Charles Krupa, AP)

But where does Eli-Brady XLVI rank all time?

What I’m going to do is rank all 46 quarterback match-ups in the history of the Super Bowl, based on what the stature of each quarterback was entering the game. I’ll look at where each quarterback was at the moment we are in right now, before the game, rather than how they were viewed after it.

The rankings here are based on the build-up to the Super Bowl, not the game itself.  For example, last season Aaron Rodgers was a still-unproven quarterback looking to break out of Brett Favre’s shadow, not the Super Bowl champion, MVP-caliber quarterback he is today. I’ll also put the most stock in previous Super Bowl experience as well as recent individual play. Make sense?  Let’s get started.

(And I won’t rank my hypothetical Aaron Rodgers vs. TJ Yates match-up, although it obviously would have been No. 1.)

Super Bowl QB Matchups: The 8 Greatest

#1 – Super Bowl XIX: Joe Montana (49ers) vs. Dan Marino (Dolphins)

The 15-1 49ers were making their second Super Bowl appearance in four years under Montana,  while Marino had one of the greatest statistical seasons ever, throwing for a then-record 5,084 yards that stood for over 25 years.

This matchup was the ultimate combination of proven Super Bowl success (Montana’s ’81 Super Bowl), superlative statistical success (Marino’s record, just broken this year), rising star power, and quarterback swagger.

First (and only) time Super Bowl quarterback Dan Marino v Super Bowl QB legend Joe Montana

Montana v Marino may not have been the most decorated QB matchup in NFL history going into the game, but it was certainly one of the most intriguing. I say the most intriguing ever.

#2 – Super Bowl XXXII: Brett Favre (Green Bay) vs. John Elway (Denver)

Looking at this match-up in it’s context, it’s just incredible.

Favre was coming off his third MVP season, with 3,867 yards and 35 touchdowns, as well as a Super Bowl victory the previous year. Elway, then 37, was at the tail end of his career, but still was considered one of the premier quarterbacks in the league.

This was the Broncos’ fourth of five Super Bowl appearances under Elway, having lost three in the first decade-plus of his career. It was the MVP gunslinger looking to repeat against the future Hall of Famer, making it great, but only good for second-best.

 #3 – Super Bowl XIII: Terry Bradshaw (Steelers) vs. Roger Staubach (Cowboys)

Bradshaw not only had two Super Bowl wins on his resume, but he also had an MVP season in 1978. To win his third Super Bowl, Bradshaw would have to lead the Steelers past two-time Super Bowl winner Roger Staubach and the defending champion Cowboys, who had just rolled over the Rams 28-0 in the NFC championship game.

Very close to being a top-two game, and lost out by the slimmest of margins.

#4 – Super Bowl XXIV: Joe Montana (49ers) vs. John Elway (Broncos)

Montana already had three Super Bowl wins on his resume, while Elway was finally looking to break through in the win column after losing his first two.

Montana won the MVP that season as the Niners went 14-2; Elway threw for 385 yards against Cleveland in the AFC Championship to lead Denver to its third Super Bowl in four years.

The result was a lopsided San Fran win (55-10) but the quarterback match-up heading into the game was among the best ever.

#5 – Super Bowl I: Bart Starr (Packers) vs. Len Dawson (Chiefs)

It may have been just the first championship game pitting the AFL champion against the NFL champion, but it by no means the beginning of Starr’s and Dawson’s careers. Dawson was the top rated passer in the AFL that season as well as the 1962 AFL MVP, while Starr had led the Packers to three of the previous five NFL championships.

Both went on to be Hall of Famers, and having the first Super Bowl feature such great talent helped pave the way for the growth of the NFL.

#6 – Super Bowl X: Terry Bradshaw (Steelers) vs. Roger Staubach (Cowboys)

Both quarterbacks were Super Bowl champions at this point, but their rematch three years later was a bit more anticipated. Aren’t they always?

#7 – Super Bowl XXVII: Troy Aikman (Cowboys) vs. Jim Kelly (Bills)

This matchup was a repeat of the year before, and it was Kelly’s fourth straight Super Bowl appearance, while Aikman had earned Super Bowl MVP honors the season before.

The question was whether or not Dallas would be able to repeat, as Aikman had played phenomenally in the NFC Championship game against San Francisco but had left the game with a concussion. Kelly was clearly playing at a high level, as Buffalo had gone 12-4 that season, but the question remained whether he would finally be able to win the big one.

#8 – Super Bowl XLVI: Tom Brady (Patriots) vs. Eli Manning (Giants)

This is where I think this year’s Super Bowl quarterback matchup ranks.

There are obviously plenty of people talking about it, especially since it’s the rematch of Super Bowl 42. It is Brady’s chance to cement himself as one of the top-3 quarterbacks of all time, while a win for Eli could push him into permanent elite conversation.

All-Time Super Bowl Quarterback Matchups Poll

Let’s take a quick poll break. The top 8 pretty much has it all: both of the Staubach-Bradshaw matchups, one each of the Aikman-Kelly and Brady-Manning matchups, as well as legends like Montana, Marino, Favre, Elway, Starr, and Dawson.

You’ve seen my top 8. Which one do you think should be #1?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Super Bowl QB Matchups: The Best Of The Rest

#9 – Super Bowl VIII: Bob Griese (Dolphins) vs. Fran Tarkenton (Vikings)

Griese led Miami, in the year after he led the Dolphins to a perfect season, to a third straight Super Bowl appearance, the first team to accomplish such a feat. Minnesota was perhaps better known for the “Purple People Eaters” on defense, they did feature Fran Tarkenton, a future Hall-of-Famer in his own right.

#10 – Super Bowl XXIII: Joe Montana (49ers) vs. Boomer Esiason (Bengals)

While Montana had the 49ers in the Super Bowl for the third time in eight seasons, it was Esiason who was the league MVP in 1988. The game was good too, with Montana leading San Fran on the “Joe Cool” drive to win the game.

#11 – Super Bowl XI: Ken Stabler (Raiders) vs. Fran Tarkenton (Vikings)

Tarkenton was the headliner of this matchup, who at age 36 had led the Vikings to their third Super Bowl in four years. But Stabler led Oakland to a 15-1 record entering the game, and The Snake had also won the MVP just two years prior, in 1974.

#12 – Super Bowl XLIII: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) vs. Kurt Warner (Cardinals)

Another instance of two previous Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks competing against each other.

Roethlisberger had Pittsburgh in its second Super Bowl in four years, but Warner, in his third Super Bowl appearance, was the story. He had to earn the starting job from Matt Leinart and had Arizona in the playoffs at just 9-7. He played spectacular in the playoffs, however, leading the Cardinals to 30-plus points in each of the three playoff games up to that point.

#13 – Super Bowl XLIV: Drew Brees (Saints) vs. Peyton Manning (Colts)

Brees-Manning was perhaps the better straight quarterback match-up than Roethlisberger-Warner the season before, but this was Brees’ first appearance in a Super Bowl, so he did not have the stature he does now.

Still, Manning was the MVP that season, and Brees was no slouch, throwing for 4,338 yards and had a passer rating of 109.6, so this was a highly anticipated matchup between two prolific quarterbacks.

#14 – Super Bowl XXVII: Troy Aikman (Cowboys) vs. Jim Kelly (Bills)

Aikman’s first Super Bowl, Kelly’s third straight. Better the next year.

#15 – Super Bowl IX: Terry Bradshaw (Steelers) vs. Fran Tarkenton (Vikings)

Perhaps the best defensive matchup ever, featuring the Steel Curtain against the Purple People Eaters, but Tarkenton was in his second straight Super Bowl and Bradshaw was in the middle of his Hall of Fame career.

#16 – Super Bowl XXVIII: Jim Plunkett (Raiders) vs. Joe Theismann (Redskins)

Maybe not the most elite of matchups from a name value perspective, but both already had a Super Bowl win on their resume entering the game, which had only happened twice to date.

#17 – Super Bowl XXXIX: Tom Brady (Patriots) vs. Donovan McNabb (Eagles)

Brady was playing in his third Super Bowl in four years against a perennial Pro Bowler in McNabb playing in his first.

#18 – Super Bowl XLVI: Eli Manning (Giants) vs. Tom Brady (Patriots)

The build-up was there based on the Patriots being 18-0 at the time, but there were serious doubts about Eli Manning. Why does everybody doubt this kid again?

Eli Manning finally earned some respect by leading the Giants to a Super Bowl 42 upset of New England. He can gain even more respect on Sunday.

#19 – Super Bowl VI: Roger Staubach (Cowboys) vs. Bob Griese (Dolphins)

The first Super Bowl appearance for each of these quarterbacks, at least one of whom would appear in five of the next seven Super Bowls.

#20 – Super Bowl XLV: Aaron Rodgers (Packers) vs. Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)

This ranking is actually based of it being Roethlisberger’s third Super Bowl appearance, and it came in the midst of Rodgers’ ascendance to one of the game’s elite, but he wasn’t truly there until this game was played.

#21 – Super Bowl II: Bart Starr (Packers) vs. Daryle Lamonica (Raiders)

Lamonica was that season’s (1967) AFL MVP, and that Starr guy was pretty good too.

#22 – Super Bowl XXXI: Brett Favre (Packers) vs. Drew Bledsoe (Patriots)

The two had combined for six Pro Bowls plus two MVPs, both of which were awarded to Favre, including his second straight in 1996.

#23 – Super Bowl XXI: Phil Simms (Giants) vs. John Elway (Broncos)

This was Elway’s first Super Bowl, on the heels of The Drive, but the Broncos ran into Simms’ 14-2 Giants, better known for the Lawrence Taylor-led defense.

 #24 – Super Bowl XVI: Joe Montana (49ers) vs. Ken Anderson (Bengals)

Both were young quarterbacks coming into their own, and while Montana would eventually win four Super Bowls, Anderson was the 1981 MVP.

#25 – Super Bowl XXX: Troy Aikman (Cowboys) vs. Neil O’Donnell (Steelers)

Aikman’s third appearance in four years, while O’Donnell was an effective manager of 11-5 Pittsburgh, throwing for just under 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns against just seven interceptions.

#26 – Super Bowl XII: Roger Staubach (Cowboys) vs. Craig Morton (Broncos)

Both quarterbacks’ second Super Bowl appearance, with Staubach leading Dallas to the win in Super Bowl VI and Morton coming up short for those same Cowboys in Super Bowl V.

#27 – Super Bowl XXVI: Mark Rypien (Redskins) vs. Jim Kelly (Bills)

Kelly was making his second straight Super Bowl appearance, while Rypien led the NFC in passer rating at 97.9 with protection from “The Hogs”.

#28 – Super Bowl XXXIII: John Elway (Broncos) vs. Chris Chandler (Falcons)

Chandler led the Falcons to a surprising 14-2, but Elway’s fifth Super Bowl appearance, and second straight, was the talk.

#29 – Super Bowl XXXIX: Steve Young (49ers) vs. Stan Humphries (Chargers)

Humphries had the surprise Chargers in the Super Bowl, but this was about Steve Young finally getting his shot at a title and monkey off his back.

Steve Young finally became a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and emerged from Joe Montana's considerable shadow with a historic performance against the Chargers.

#30 – Super Bowl VII: Bob Griese (Dolphins) vs. Billy Kilmer (Redskins)

Griese was looking to avenge the Super Bowl loss and did so with a perfect Dolphins team; and then there was Billy Kilmer, and you don’t know who he is either.

#31 – Super Bowl III: Joe Namath (Jets) vs. Earl Morrall (Colts)

Namath’s guarantee is famous, but he was a slightly-above-average quarterback on the field despite his star power, while Morrall was filling in for an injured Johnny Unitas.

#32  - Super Bowl XIV: Terry Bradshaw (Steelers) vs. Vince Ferragamo (Rams)

Ferragamo was a back-up for Pat Haden and was not great, bringing down the fact that Bradshaw was playing in his fourth Super Bowl.

#33 – Super Bowl XV: Jim Plunkett (Raiders) vs. Ron Jaworski (Eagles)

Two quarterbacks you remember being as better as they actually were.

#34 – Super Bowl IV: Len Dawson (Chiefs) vs. Joe Kapp (Vikings)

Three years after losing to Bart Starr, Dawson finally got his win.

#35 – Super Bowl XXII: Doug Williams (Redskins) vs. John Elway (Broncos)

Williams was fortunate to have a loaded Redskins team, while Elway had Denver in the Super Bowl for a second straight year.

#36 – Super Bowl XXXIV: Kurt Warner (Rams) vs. Steve McNair (Titans)

Warner was the engineer of the “Greatest Show on Turf,” but Eddie George was the main threat for Tennessee.

#37 – Super Bowl XXXVI: Tom Brady (Patriots) vs. Kurt Warner (Rams)

2001 Tom Brady was just the guy who took over for Drew Bledsoe, not the 2012 Tom Brady he is today.

#38 – Super Bowl XL: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) vs. Matt Hasselbeck (Seahawks)

Big Ben was still somewhat unproven in his second year, and while Hasselbeck was efficient for Seattle, MVP Shaun Alexander was the driving force.

#39 – Super Bowl XXV: Jeff Hostetler (Giants) vs. Jim Kelly (Bills)

Only Kelly’s first Super Bowl, and Hostetler was an injury replacement for Phil Simms.

#40 – Super Bowl V: Johnny Unitas (Colts) vs. Craig Morton (Cowboys)

Unitas was 37, and Morton was in a QB controversy all season with Roger Staubach.

#41 – Super Bowl XLI: Peyton Manning (Colts) vs. Rex Grossman (Bears)

Peyton finally got to his first Super Bowl, but this match-up is dragged waaaaay down by Sexy Rexy.

In Rex's defense, the weather was awful and Peyton Manning didn't play particularly well either.

#42 – Super Bowl XXXVIII: Tom Brady (Patriots) vs. Jake Delhomme (Panthers)

Brady was going for two out of three, but he was facing the Panthers, who made it on the strength of their running game.

#43- Super Bowl  XVII: Joe Theismann (Redskins) vs. David Woodley (Dolphins)

Theismann wasn’t great, and Woodley wasn’t anybody.

#44 – Super Bowl XXXVII: Brad Johnson (Buccaneers) vs. Rich Gannon (Raiders)

Gannon was the MVP, but the Bucs were all about defense.

#45 – Super Bowl XXXV: Trent Dilfer (Ravens) vs. Kerry Collins (Giants)

Most people’s worst match-up, but only second-worst for me.

#46 – Super Bowl XX:  Jim McMahon (Bears) vs. Tony Eason (Patriots)

Eason had more interceptions than touchdowns in the regular season, while the Bears had Payton, Singletary and the Fridge, and McMahon was largely an afterthought outside his persona and sunglasses.

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So there are the rankings. 1-46. Every Super Bowl quarterback matchup ever.

The question now, as it was when we ranked the 13 best Super Bowl plays of all-time, and when we ranked the 10 best Super Bowl commercials of all-time, is what choices do you agree/disagree with? What did we get right, and what did we get wrong?

That’s what the comment section is for. Chime in below!

Things didn’t get much better for the Pats after the AFL-NFL Merger.

In their first 14 seasons in the NFL the Patriots never won a Playoff game. The team’s first Super Bowl appearance was a 46-10 mauling by the storied 1985 Chicago Bears.

In recent years the Patriots fortunes have changed and they have become one of the most successful and consistent teams in football.

• Super Bowl appearances: 7—1985-86 (XX), 1996-97 (XXXI), 2001-02 (XXXVI), 2003-04 (XXXVIII), 2004-05 (XXXIX), 2007-08 (XLII), 2011-12 (XLVI)
• All-time Super Bowl record: 3-3 (pending the result of XLVI)
• AFL Championships before the Super Bowl era: none (played in the 1963 AFL Championship Game)

Tom Brady after Super Bowl XXXVI

New England Patriots Super Bowl Results, Locations, and MVPs

Super Bowl XX, New England Patriots vs. Chicago Bears

• Date: January 26, 1986
• Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Score: Bears 46, Patriots 10
• MVP: Richard Dent, Bears DE

Super Bowl XXXI, New England Patriots vs. Green Bay Packers

• Date: January 26, 1997
• Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Score: Packers 35, Patriots 21
• MVP: Desmond Howard, Packers KR

Super Bowl XXXVI, New England Patriots vs. St. Louis Rams

• Date: February 3, 2002
• Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Score: Patriots 20, Rams 17
• MVP: Tom Brady, Patriots QB

Super Bowl XXXVIII, New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers

• Date: February 1, 2004
• Location: Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
• Score: Patriots 32, Panthers 29
• MVP: Tom Brady, Patriots QB

Super Bowl XXXIX, New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles

• Date: February 6, 2005
• Location: Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
• Score: Patriots 24, Eagles 21
• MVP: Deion Branch, Patriots WR

Super Bowl XLII, New England Patriots vs. New York Giants

• Date: February 3, 2008
• Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
• Score: Giants 17, Patriots 14
• MVP: Eli Manning, Giants QB

(This game, of course, famously featured one of the 13 best plays in Super Bowl history.)

Super Bowl XLVI, New England Patriots vs. New York Giants

• Date: February 5, 2012
• Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
• Score: Patriots ??, Giants ??
• MVP: ???

Click to view the New York Giants Super Bowl History.

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Obviously, some players feel the need to create motivation for themselves, especially given the already heightened competitiveness that professional athletes possess.

(AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)

Super Bowl 46 “Underdogs”

Tom Brady

Tom Brady isn’t much of an underdog these days, whether on the field or in his personal life.

He is still fixated on being drafted in the 6^th round though, and that perceived slight has driven him to be one of the hardest workers in the game and in turn one of the most successful stars in the NFL.

New York Giants

The Giants perennially underachieve at home and when favored, yet they have an uncanny ability to perform well when it would seem least likely for them to do so.

Win five straight road games to make it to the Super Bowl?  Sure, they were able to do that.

But did no one believing they could pull off that series of long shot wins really influence their play and intensity on the field?  Or were these guys just healthy and playing well at the right time of year?

No one can be sure precisely what factors can cause a 55-man team to gel and perform their best.  Certainly attitude, health, matchups and, of course, talent, are all mixed to determine who wins each game.

In looking at the rosters for the Super Bowl teams, I started to look at what each player’s college attended and draft position looked like.  I wondered what the mix of big school players versus small school players is and also where guys had been drafted.

If I could see how many are truly underdogs out to prove they belong in the NFL, maybe I could begin to understand how things like the “no one believes in me/us” factor can affect performance.

This is by no means meant to be a conclusive explanation for why certain players and teams outperform expectations.  It is simply the presentation of data that may support the idea that an athlete or team might gain extra motivation from feeling slighted, and that such motivation can affect the outcome of that player or team’s performance.

First, I looked at where every key player (I identified “key” players as those expected to start or see a large number of snaps in the Super Bowl) was drafted.  In all, I came up with 73 total players I expect to make some sort of impact Sunday – 38 for the Patriots, 35 for the Giants.

The breakdown, per team, of how many players were drafted in each round, is as follows:

Patriots Draft Positions

• 1st Round: 6
• 2nd Round: 8
• 3rd Round: 2
• 4th Round: 2
• 5th Round: 3
• 6th Round: 1
• 7th Round: 3
• Undrafted: 13

Over 33% of the Patriots players who will see significant field time went undrafted.

At the risk of sounding like Greggggg Easterbrook (h/t Drew Magary), these numbers suggest the Patriots have excelled with guys who have simply worked harder than most others.

Of course, over 33% were also first and second round picks, but I was very surprised that a Super Bowl team would seemingly have so few highly touted players on its roster.

Giants Draft Positions

• 1st Round: 8
• 2nd Round: 6
• 3rd Round: 4
• 4th Round: 3
• 5th Round: 3
• 6th Round: 3
• 7th Round: 1
• Undrafted: 7

The Giants are much more balanced, as one would expect any team to be, especially a Super Bowl team.  Still, they feature almost as many undrafted players as first round picks.

Between the two teams, 27% of impact players were undrafted, while only 19% were picked in the first round.

Now that we have noticed that the best teams don’t necessarily have loads of highly drafted players, let’s look at the schools these players came from.  I broke down the number of players per BCS automatic qualifying conferences (“AQ” for the sake of brevity) and the number of players from non-AQ schools.

Patriots Players by Conference

AQ Conferences:

• ACC: 2
• Big Ten: 4
• Big 12: 1
• Big East: 4
• Pac-12: 3
• SEC: 10

Independent: 1

Non-AQ Schools: 13

Giants Players by Conference

AQ Conferences:

• ACC: 7
• Big Ten: 8 (Nebraska was in Big 12 when Prince Amukamara attended)
• Big 12: 3
• Big East: 3
• Pac-12: 0
• SEC: 4

Independent: 1

Non-AQ Schools: 9

As this demonstrates, over 70% of the impact players in this year’s Super Bowl came from AQ schools.  I can’t help but wonder if players who attended big football factory colleges, only to be disappointed come draft day, aren’t the ones who play with the largest chips on their shoulders.

Players like Brady (6th round), Aaron Hernandez (4th round), Ahmad Bradshaw (7th round) and Michael Boley (5th round) probably think back to sitting there on draft day and waiting to hear their names called and use that as fuel to prove scouts, GMs, and media members wrong.

(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Final Thoughts

I’m still not sure how many of these guys have ever been disregarded and told they were never going to make it.  But what I take away from this is the following:

• In order to make it to the NFL, obviously, you must be talented.
• After that, it is about who works the hardest and who can be the most motivated player to succeed.

If telling yourself that the whole world is betting against you helps you do that, then do that. It just sounds more believable coming from Danny Woodhead than Eli Manning.

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Follow me on Twitter @keithmullett

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Image Credits: nashuatelegraph.com (AP photo), cosbysweaters.com, nydailynews.com

Thankfully, Super Bowl Sunday is the perfect combination of all three.

And what fun is it to just sit around and drink casually on your own terms? Why not have a little fun with it?

So to make things a bit more interesting, because let’s face it no one outside of the northeast corner of America actually wants to watch this year’s Big Game, here is the official MSF Super Bowl XLVI Drinking Game.

The rules are simple: anytime something in the list below happens, take a drink according to the category it is under. Feel free to add your own rules as well.

One Drink

• Anytime Peyton Manning is mentioned
• Anytime Archie Manning is mentioned
• Anytime a beer commercial is played
• Anytime a player is shown crying
• Anytime Super Bowl XLII is mentioned
• Anytime Rob Gronkowski’s ankle is mentioned
• Every time you lose a bet (because it’s not a Super Bowl if you don’t have a few bets on the line)
• Successful Extra Point
• Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin are shown and you’re first thought is, “That man looks constipated.” (Then stop taking drinks after this occurs three times, otherwise you’ll die.)
• Anytime Eli is caught making the “Eli Manning Face”

Two Drinks

• Anytime Cooper Manning is mentioned
• Anytime a baby appears in a commercial
• Anytime Gisele is on screen
• Anytime a player complains to the ref about a call
• Anytime Tiquan Underwood is mentioned
• Any pass over 30 yards
• Any run over 20 yards
• Anytime this infamous Tom Brady quote from Super Bowl 42 is shown:

Three Drinks

• Anytime Archie Manning is on screen
• Anytime David Tyree is mentioned/shown on screen
• Field Goal
• Onside kick
• Interception
• Fumble Recovery
• Victor Cruz salsa dances
• Anytime you hear Joe Buck’s voice

Yes, the game is on NBC, but Super Bowl 42 was on FOX...so it might happen during highlights.

Four Drinks

• Safety
• Touchdown
• Anytime Peyton Manning appears on screen
• Player waves to the camera and says “Hi Mom”
• Anytime Madonna does a hip thrust during her act
• Blocked Punt/Kick
• Either team attempts 2 point conversion
• Vince Wilfork salsa dances
• Jim Irsay provides backup instrumentation for Kelly Clarkson’s national anthem
• The Tom Brady Combine picture is shown.

Finish Your Drink

• Fat man interception (take an extra shot if he scores)
• Anytime a quarterback gets sacked
• Chad Ochocinco catches a pass
• Missed Field Goal
• Fake Punt/FG
• Tom Coughlin or Bill Belichick smile
• Jim Irsay provides backup instrumentation for Madonn’a halftime show
• Tom Brady does this dance after a big play
• Anytime Tim Tebow is mentioned

Shotgun a 12 pack

• Chad Ochocinco scores a TD

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Now it’s your turn.

What rules would you add? Comment below. If there are enough new rules added we’ll re-post before our Super Bowl 46 live blog on Sunday.

But perhaps not as many as you think.

Patriots-Giants “Rematch”?

In total, of the 106 players on the active rosters for the Giants and Patriots in Super XLII, only 23 are with the same team today. So while many are calling this game a rematch, only about 22% of the players who will decide Super Bowl XLVI are returning players from the first Super Bowl meeting. For 83 players, this is a brand new Super Bowl and the 2008 game has little, if any, meaning to them.

Head coaches Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin are still leading their teams.

QBs Tom Brady and Eli Manning are back facing each other in round 2 of their epic Super Bowl battle, which began in 2008 in Glendale, Arizona with the Giants and Manning upsetting the heavily favored and undefeated Patriots 17-14.

Giants RBs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw return for an encore as well, while Wes Welker revisits for New England. Welker caught 11 balls for 103 yards in the 2008 game; Jacobs and Bradshaw combined for 87 rushing yards.

Of the four players who scored touchdowns in their first Super Bowl meeting, only one, Plaxico Burress, is still in the NFL. Pats RB Laurence Maroney, WR Randy Moss, and the Giants WR David Tyree are all retired. Tyree’s famous helmet catch in that game, ironically, was his last catch ever as a player.

The tight ends have, notably, been replaced. The Patriots have the TD-machine duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez while the Giants new face is Jake Ballard.

The offensive line for the Giants has three of their five linemen still protecting Manning, while the Patriots have two from 2008 still keeping Brady upright.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Giants key to their win in 2008 was pressure from its defensive front four led by Michael Strahan. Less Strahan, the 2011 Giants still feature an explosive attack with Justin Tuck and Osi Umeniyora returning for another crack at Brady, plus Jason Pierre-Paul and his 16-1/2 regular season sacks.

The Patriots return run stopper Vince Wilfork but are not nearly the same line from 2008 without Richard Seymour or Ty Warren.

The linebackers for both teams are all new, with the exception of the Giants’ Mathias Kiwanuka. None of the Patriots’ secondary, starters or reserves, from the 2008 team is now with the team, while the Giants’ Aaron Ross and Corey Webster are holdovers from the 2008 champion Giants.

Both FG kickers are still booting for their teams with the Giants’ Lawrence Tynes and Patriots’ Stephen Gostkowski possibly providing a historic kick in Indianapolis.

Super Bowl 46 Keys To Victory

The keys to Patriots-Giants Part 2 will be:

1. Pressure on Tom Brady

Will Tom Brady have enough time in the pocket to make his reads and complete the short to medium routes, or if he will be hurried and forced from the pocket, disrupting his rhythm? Harassing Brady worked effectively in the first Super Bowl game and enabled the Giants to stay in the game.

The Giants defense improved late in the season and played with renewed intensity in their three playoff wins. However, the Giants did rank only 25^th in points allowed (25.0) and were 27^th in yards allowed with 6,022.

2. Can New England’s maligned defense slow Eli Manning?

New England’s defense, which ranked 31^st (Packers were 32^nd) out of all 32 teams in yards allowed, ranked a respectable 15^th in points per game allowed (21.4).

Eli Manning has four more seasons under his belt and is now the unquestioned leader of the Giants offense and a big-time threat with a diverse passing attack. All signs point to Manning having a big game versus the defensively challenged Patriots.

3. Turnovers

Turnovers are always a key to victory, and both teams excel at turning the ball over. New England has a +17 turnover ratio coming into the game while the Giants are a +7.

4. Coaches

Can Belichick devise a game plan to stop the Giants’ potent offense while figuring out a way to score more than the 14 points from the first meeting?

How will Coughlin alter course from his 2008 focus on rushing the ball and clock management?

Look for the Patriots not to blitz as much as they did in the first meeting, instead allowing an improving linebacker corps to drop back into coverage. The Giants will continue to apply pressure only from their front four and offensively will take more chances with their aerial attack.

Super Bowl 46 Prediction

All signs (except Vegas’ New England -3 line) point to a New York win in convincing fashion.

I just don’t see how New England will be able to keep scoring with a Giants defense that will stop drives periodically. It’s hard to see Manning and company being slowed down by the Patriots defense.

This, oddly enough, is exactly why I now get the feeling New England somehow pulls this game out and exacts revenge from their 2008 loss.

Super Bowl Prediction: New England Patriots 31 | New York Giants 28

Super Bowl 46 Poll

Now it’s your turn.

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Super Bowl 46: New York Giants v New England Patriots Game Info

• Super Bowl 46 Date: Sunday, February 5th
• Super Bowl 46 Time: 6:20 ET
• Super Bowl 46 TV: NBC
• Super Bowl 46 Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Super Bowl 46 Point Spread: Patriots -3
• Super Bowl 46 Over-Under: 55

For Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (the subject of a recent MSF photo story) this is a big opportunity to show that he belongs in the discussion of the upper tier quarterbacks in the NFL. For Patriots superstar Tom Brady, today provides an opportunity to avenge a playoff drubbing at the hands a Baltimore a few years ago with a win propelling the Brady-Belichick duo to its fifth Super Bowl appearance.

Here is all the basic info you need to know, what MSF’s writers have said about the game this week, and a poll so you can take your pick.

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots Game Info

• Ravens-Patriots Date: Sunday, January 22nd
• Ravens-Patriots Time: 3:00 ET
• Ravens-Patriots TV: CBS
• Ravens-Patriots Announcers: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms (with Steve Tasker)
• Ravens-Patriots Point Spread: Patriots -7
• Ravens-Patriots Over-Under: 50.5

Image source: N.T.C.F.

Steve’s Ravens-Patriots Prediction

Click to read Steve’s complete Ravens-Patriots Preview.

For the Ravens to win, they will have to hold Tom Brady under his average of nearly 318 passing yards a game. They allow under 200 yards passing on average, but they haven’t faced a tough quarterback since Week 15 when they went up against Philip Rivers and the Chargers. Even then, he only had 270 yards and a touchdown. Tom Brady will be the best quarterback they have faced all season, and limiting his productivity is necessary for a shot to win.

They will also need to keep a close watch on the two tight ends in Gronkowski and Hernandez. If the linebackers can shut them down, Brady will have to key in on Wes Welker, and it could make him predictable. Without a doubt, the Ravens have plans in place to shut down the two tight ends, and time will tell if they are successful.
Patriots-Ravens Prediction

The Ravens’ defense is one of the best in the league, but Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game of football. He will find a way to get the ball into the endzone, even if his tight ends are taken out of the equation.

I continue to doubt Joe Flacco, but a Super Bowl victory would change my thoughts. It just won’t happen this year.

• Pick: Patriots 31 | Ravens 27

Jerod’s Ravens-Patriots Spread Pick

I didn’t follow the Ravens-Texans game all that closely through the first 3 quarters yesterday. Around the start of the 4th quarter I tweeted out that it sounded like Houston was outplaying Baltimore despite the score. Every tweet I received in reply agreed.

While Houston is a good team with a great running back, Baltimore should have been able to dispatch of a T.J. Yates-led team with far more ease if they are thinking about going into New England and winning. I just don’t see.

Baltimore’s defense is very good, but not the dominant unit it once was, and New England’s defense seems to be buoyed by the return to health of some key players; and we know how powerful Brady’s connection with his tight ends has become.

If this game was in Baltimore, where the Ravens always play with an extra bounce in their step, I’d consider taking the points. In New England, with Brady and the Pats looking as locked in as they do, I think I’d lay a couple of touchdowns, which makes a little more than one an easy decision.

• Ravens-Patriots spread pick: Patriots -7

Ravens-Patriots Poll

Who do you think will win?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

And don’t be shy. Defend your pick below in the comment section.

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The Bills were seeking revenge, but they didn’t get it as the Cowboys rolled over them in another lopsided big win. It was basically a repeat of the previous year, 1993, that the Cowboys won, 52-17.

Unfortunately, both Super Bowls were not close and provided very little drama.

The Bills-Cowboys Super Bowls were the only ones to have been a do-over from the year before.

There have been few Super Bowl re-matches. Besides Buffalo versus Dallas in Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII, there really was only one other re-match that mattered, Dallas vs. Pittsburgh in 1979 in Super Bowl XIII.

Though this game was not a repeat of the previous year’s Super Bowl, it was still a rematch. Pittsburgh got the best of Dallas three years earlier in Super Bowl X, 21-17.

In 1979, both teams returned with many of their biggest contributors from years gone by. For the Steelers, there was Mean Joe Greene, Rocky Bleier, Lynn Swann, Franco Harris, and Terry Bradshaw; for the Cowboys, there was Roger Staubach, Randy White, Ed Too Tall Jones and Drew Pearson, just to name a few. Both head coaches, Chuck Noll and Tom Landry, were already icons of their time.

In another tight one, the Steelers nicked the Cowboys by four points again, 35-31. The game is most remembered for Hall Of Famer tight-end Jackie Smith’s touchdown drop in the endzone that could have tied the game and may have sent it to overtime (Smith was used as only a blocking tight end in his last season and didn’t catch any passes).

Dallas and Pittsburgh played one other time, 17 years later and Dallas finally got its revenge. The Triplets, Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin, along with the rest of the Cowboys and head coach Barry Switzer tried to make-up for the Super Bowl losses and were able to put away the Steelers, 27-17.

The potential Giants versus Patriots rematch of 2012 would also bring back familiar names, starting with Tom Brady and Eli Manning. The Giants still have their duo of running backs and a few other players from the lines (defensive and offensive), as do the Patriots, but this would only be called a rematch because of the starting quarterbacks, head coaches, and what the Giants were able to do to the Patriots the first go-round, by taking away their undefeated season.

Image source: FTRSports.com

They did it in dramatic fashion with the famous play in which Manning avoided the sack and threw downfield to wide receiver David Tyree, who caught a first down on the go-ahead last drive by clasping the ball to his helmet while being defended in the most difficult of circumstances.

There have been other repeat Super Bowls, such as Miami versus Washington and San Francisco versus Cincinnati, but neither were played in years where the teams would have had players competing from both of their Super Bowl appearances.

Though both teams still have hurdles to clear this weekend, many people have a Patriots-Giants rematch already in the backs of their minds, with questions abounding.

Firstly, will it happen? Then, what will be the revenge factor for the Patriots?

Will the Giants be able to overcome the odds again and turn away the great head coach Bill Belichick as he tries to motivate and steer his team to overcome what happened four years ago?

Can this game be as memorable as the last one?

Seems unlikely, unless there’s overtime. In 45 games, no Super Bowl has experienced overtime.

Overtime is overdue.

Prediction (if it happens): Giants 34-Patriots 31.

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Howard Alperin is Managing Editor of AmericanizeSoccer.com

It is not often that the top two seeds both win in the divisional round, but their opponents both had shortcomings. The Broncos ran out of steam and were overwhelmed in New England, while T.J. Yates could not get anything going against the Ravens’ defense.

Image source: N.T.C.F.

New England Patriots

The Patriots had one of the most impressive playoff performances last week, beating the Broncos 45-10. The game was never close, as the score at the half was 35-7 in the Patriots’ favor.

Tom Brady had five first-half touchdown passes, with three of those being to Rob Gronkowski. Gronk finished the game with ten catches for 145 yards and the three aforementioned touchdowns. Brady finished the game with six touchdowns, which is a postseason record.

A new weapon shown by the Pats’ last week was seen in Aaron Hernandez. They lined up the dynamic tight end in the backfield and handed him the ball five times for 61 yards. He could have had more if not for a mild concussion that was suffered during the game. If they continue to hand him the ball, it will be tough even for the Ravens defense to stop him.

It is known that the offense is among the best in the game, but the major question mark for the Patriots is their defense. They only allowed ten points last week against Denver, but the Broncos’ offense is far from dominant. It is tough to gauge the Pats’ defense because in the regular season they only played two teams that finished with winning records. Those teams were the Steelers and the Giants, and both of those games resulted in losses.

The Ravens’ offense is not that great in the passing game, but they average nearly 125 rushing yards a game. The New England defense will have to stop Ray Rice and Ricky Williams early on and force Joe Flacco to throw the ball. He averages just about 214 passing yards a game, which compares to nearly 294 allowed a game by the Patriots. This number is inflated though, as the infamous prevent defense was played often while the Patriots were in command of many of their games in the regular season.

Flacco is prone to making mistakes when he has to pass often, and it is also known that the Ravens don’t fare so well when Rice does not get his fair share of touches.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are looking to get back to the Super Bowl for the second time in franchise history, and for the first time in over a decade. They are coming off a win over a Houston team that featured a rookie quarterback in T.J. Yates. Results may have been different if Matt Schaub was playing, but injuries are a part of the game.

Baltimore’s defense won them the game last week. They allowed more yards than the Houston’s defense allowed, but they won the turnover battle. T.J. Yates was intercepted three times and had more incompletions (18) than completions (17).

The worst turnover came on special teams, and can be single-handedly blamed on Jacoby Jones of the Texans. He was back to return the punt, but let the ball bounce. As it was bouncing he decided to try and make something out of it but dropped the ball. Baltimore then had a short field, and scored a touchdown off of the turnover.

For the Ravens to win, they will have to hold Tom Brady under his average of nearly 318 passing yards a game. They allow under 200 yards passing on average, but they haven’t faced a tough quarterback since Week 15 when they went up against Philip Rivers and the Chargers. Even then, he only had 270 yards and a touchdown. Tom Brady will be the best quarterback they have faced all season, and limiting his productivity is necessary for a shot to win.

They will also need to keep a close watch on the two tight ends in Gronkowski and Hernandez. If the linebackers can shut them down, Brady will have to key in on Wes Welker, and it could make him predictable. Without a doubt, the Ravens have plans in place to shut down the two tight ends, and time will tell if they are successful.

Patriots-Ravens Prediction

The Ravens’ defense is one of the best in the league, but Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game of football. He will find a way to get the ball into the endzone, even if his tight ends are taken out of the equation.

I continue to doubt Joe Flacco, but a Super Bowl victory would change my thoughts. It just won’t happen this year.

Pick: Patriots 31 | Ravens 27

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Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots Game Info

• Ravens-Patriots Date: Sunday, January 22nd
• Ravens-Patriots Time: 3:00 ET
• Ravens-Patriots TV: CBS
• Ravens-Patriots Announcers: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms (with Steve Tasker)
• Ravens-Patriots Point Spread: Patriots -7.5
• Ravens-Patriots Over-Under: 50.5

That’s right: just one.

Tom Brady?  Nope, not the sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer.

Ray Rice?  Sort of, but that’s not the answer.

Joe Flacco?

Bill Belichick?

John Harbaugh?

No. No. No.

Actually, the most important person in deciding who will advance to represent the American Football Conference in Super Bowl XLVI is none other than the gentleman who holds the worst all-time record of any “non-interim” head coach in NFL history: Baltimore Offensive Coordinator Malcolm “call me Cam” Cameron.

Image credit: Rob Carr/Getty Images via B/R

Here’s the issue:

Baltimore is a balanced team that is working on all cylinders when, and only when, Ray Rice is working up a heavy lather.  They control the clock. Joe Flacco becomes efficient and effective. Their defense, which has a couple of aging stars, gets plenty of time on the sidelines resting up.

The problem is that, in a nutshell, Cam Cameron panics almost immediately when things don’t go according to plan.

Let’s look at the numbers.

In the Ravens’ 12 wins during the regular season, Baltimore had great balance and emphasized an effective running game.  They passed 386 times in these 12 games (32/game), while running 404 times (almost 34/game).  They passed on 48.9% of their plays.  On the flip side (you may want to sit down), they only ran 55 times (14/game) while throwing almost 40 times per game (158 total) in their four losses.

Even Andy Reid would blush at a 74% passing ratio.

Enter this week’s opponent, the Patriots.

We know two things about New England.  First, Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game.  His offense has been virtually unstoppable this season, averaging over 32 points per game.  They only scored less than 30 points four times all season, never less than 20.  So, you can insert your favorite Dan Patrick quote here and be reasonably comfortable that the Patriots will put some points on the board.

Next, while New England is abhorrent on defense with the 31^st ranked defense, their specific weakness is against the pass, as they give up almost 300 yards per game through the air.

This is clearly a dangerous combination.

You have a Baltimore offensive coordinator who panics, is going to have to score some points and may even fall behind, and they are playing against a team that is easy pickings through the air.  I can already see Cameron abandoning his gameplan after the Pats take the opening kickoff 80 yards in 7 minutes for an opening drive TD.

That combination of a deficit and the fool’s gold that is the Patriots’ secondary will be way too much for a guy with a quick gag reflex to avoid.

On behalf of Raven fans and Patriot haters throughout the land, let me scream at the top of my lungs: “Don’t do it, Cam!” 

Stay with the plan.  Baltimore can win this game.  If they are who we think they are (thank you Dennis Green), they can run the ball 35-40 times, hold the ball for 35 minutes, and have their defense make just enough plays to, er, contain the Patriots.

John Harbaugh should be preaching patience to his underling all week long. He should probably wire him with some sort of contraption to fry him with a mini-lobotomy any time he passes twice in a row.

Oh, and one more thing, Mr. Harbaugh: just to be on the safe side, take the ball if you win the toss.

Follow Brian Dilsheimer on Twitter @Dils_Ignite

Wait…what?

That’s right, you heard me. Makeout sessions. Just look at these pictures and tell me these bros aren’t about to lock lips right there on the gridiron.

First, here are Tommy Brady and Timmy Tebow:

Image credit: Barry Gutierrez/AP via People.com

In this picture, Tebow appears ready to play the role of Gisele, gazing into Tom Terrific’s eyes before planting a wet smackeroo right smack dab on those dreamy lips. He’s even using the age-old technique of grabbing the outside shoulder to guide Brady towards him. This is the technique of a grizzled makeout veteran, not a close-to-holy virgin, so to see Tebow execute it so deftly is both surprising and impressive. He’s a natural, this one.

What’s funny is that even if you didn’t interpret this picture at all like that, the once-unseen-cannot-be-unseen principal applies. Now you can’t look at the picture without seeing it as an impending lip lock, can you?

To prove it, try looking at this picture of Alex Smith and Drew Brees after their epic 4th quarter rendezvous in Candlestick.

Image credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP  via GreenwichTime.com

Smith goes with a different technique than Tebow, choosing instead to control the action with the arm-around-waist strategy. But from his subtle lean back, it’s clear that he wants Brees to make the first move, just like Brees did in the final five minutes of the 4th quarter on Saturday before the game’s fantastic final few minutes.

Another great example of the Postgame QB Kiss phenomenon came in December of 2010 when Eli Manning and Aaron Rodgers met up. (Unfortunately, none of yesterday’s pics of the two really qualified; I guess Aaron just wasn’t in the mood.)

Image credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images North America via Zimbio.com

In this picture, Rodgers has clearly accepted the submissive female role. In this sense, Rodgers’ makeout-initiation strategy seems not all that unlike how he and the Packers played yesterday. You can see ARodg placing his right hand gently below Eli’s chest while gazing towards Eli’s awkwardly formed mouth. Eli, with his devil-may-care hairstyle is clearly enamored with Rodgers’ 8:00 shadow, even more than Rodgers’ ability “flight” and “spin” the ball.

As for the fourth game from yesterday, that there was actual QB play in that game is only a rumor, so I didn’t waste time searching for pictures of Fu Manchu Flacco nor T.J. Yates. But you don’t have to dig too deeply into the Google Image Search results to find other such pictures. Just search two high profile QBs’ names together, and you’re sure to find a postgame picture of them that, because of this ridiculous and unnecessary post, you will now see as the early stages of QB tonsil hockey.

Let’s try it. How about…Brees and Peyton Manning?

Yep:

Image source: Gridiron Experts

Brees and divisional rival Matt Ryan?

Image credit: AP via PennLive.com

Okay, so Drew Brees likes kissing other quarterbacks. We get it.

Let’s go the non-Brees Legends Division. How about Jay Cutler and…Brett Favre?

Yep.

Image source: PigskinReport.com

As for the brothers, they seem a bit less likely to gaze longingly into eachothers’ eyes, at least from the 90 seconds of research I just did; rather, they go right in for the bro hug like Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick here:

Image credit: Tim Shaffer/Reuters via Eurweb.com

And it’s not just limited to quarterbacks either. Coaches tend to have the same midfield meetings after games, and most are not like Jim Harbaugh and Jim Scwhartz.

In fact, from time to time we get movie-style dramatic pre-kisses like this one featuring Bill Parcells and his former apprentice Bill Belichick.

Image source: The Sports Blog

Another great example of coaches getting into the act may have occurred this weekend. Showing that he has learned from the Schwartz fiasco, Jim Harbaugh seemed quite gracious in victory with the Saints’ Sean Payton. Watch the video and decide just how gracious.

There are plenty more pictures and videos showing similar postgame closeness between opponents. I’ll let you enjoy the search for them. I think I’ve made my point and now forever ruined your ability to see these ubiquitous postgame photos as they are actually meant to be seen, which is of course as simple friend gestures of sportsmanship.

So…my work here (which probably never should have started) is done.

All that is left to do is let Turk and J.D. take us out with a song that lets all of these kissing combatants know it’s all okay. It’s just guy love…between two guys.