Super Bowl #13: Super Bowl XLI

During the two weeks preceding the Super Bowl, I will be counting down the best Super Bowls I have witnessed in my lifetime, starting in 1988. I created a ranking system and will go game by game reliving each edition until the top Super Bowl is listed.

History repeating this year as the Colts travel to Miami again to compete for a title this year. Three years ago the Colts arrived in Miami on the heels of the biggest comeback in AFC title game history, where they met with the Chicago Bears. Up until this game people were giving Peyton Manning the "can he win the big one?" business which was just as absurd as people asking this year "can he cement his legacy?" Peyton is Peyton. He is the most analytical QB of his generation and will go down as one of the best, if not the best ever when all is said and done. The Bears presented a defensive challenge but proved to be too weak on offense to combat the Colts in South Florida. Monumental Miami Win comes in at lucky 13 on the countdown.

Indianapolis Colts 29, Chicago Bears 17

Semi-Lame Nickname: "The Goal is to Get to the Game"

Scores:
Historical Significance- 4: The most historically significant fact about the two teams is that this was the first Super Bowl to feature two African-American head coaches. Tony Dungy had hired Lovie Smith as a defensive assistant many years ago and now the two were squaring off. The two teams were the closest teams to ever play for a Super Bowl geographically. It was truly a midwesterner's dream. Also another offensive versus defensive clash. Also this two teams were two of the NFL's first franchises; the teams were originally the Dayton Triangles(became the Colts) and the Decatur Staleys(became the Bears). Bears vs. Colts just does not sound the same as Triangles vs. Staleys.

Game Enjoyment by the Fans- 4: The game was close throughout and came down to the 4th quarter which is what fans ultimately want in a Super Bowl. The Bears jumped up early giving the impression they could win the game, but ultimately Manning did what was needed to win.

High Profile Element- 4: Mannings counterpart was Rex Grossman. The Sex Cannon was not regarded anywhere close to Manning but he did throw for 3,100 yards and 23 touchdowns. However, the same problem that would be his undoing in his Bears' career and this game was ever present. He had 25 turnovers during the 2006 season. Many of the Colts characters were same as we know them today. Marvin Harrison was still in the league but Reggie Wayne had taken over as Manning's deep threat. Rookie Joseph Addai replaced veteran Edge James. Dallas Clark split time with Ben Utecht at tight end. The Colts had also dumped their "idiot kicker" Mike Vanderjagt in favor of Super Bowl hero Adam Vinatieri. On defense Dwight Freen, who had a healthy ankle this time, was their fiercest pass rusher, but Robert Mathis was there as well. Cato June was the Colts ballhawk and Bob Sanders was their helper with the run from the backfield. Fortunately Sanders was not injured for the Colts at this time, he saved that for the regular season where he only played four games.

The Bears were third in scoring defense and scored 65 points on defense and special teams. Ogunleye, Tommie Harris, and Mark Anderson put fear in opposing QBs. Brian Urlacher was in his Pro Bowl form and Lance Briggs was flying around the field like a runaway Lamborghini. Ricky Manning Jr. took time away from meals at Denny's to record 5 picks as did Charles Tillman. Devin Hester was only a rookie and used as a returner where he set a record with 6 returns. Grossman had two solid receiving weapons in Muhsin Muhammad and Bernard Berrian. Chicago also had both Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson as RBs, and now they have neither.

Venue/Atmosphere- 3.5: Once again the white people flocked to South Florida to enjoy its riches. However, as does happen in the region from time to time, it rained for the Super Bowl, making it the first rainy big game in history. Billy Joel sang the anthem, joining Aaron Neville as the first performer to do it twice. Marlee Matlin signed the national anthem, quality. Halftime belonged to Prince, who wore some kind of babooshka to shield his hair from the rain. I know he is a musical genius but I am kind of lukewarm on him, but the performance was better than his Vikings song.

Personal Enjoyment- 3.5 I make no secret that I was pulling for the Bears in this game because the Colts had knocked off my Patriots, but I was not burning with heathen fire in rage at the Colts. If they won they won, and they did. Despite what Catfish believes I don't have vicious enmity for the organization or Peyton Manning. In fact, I was rooting for the Colts to go 19-0 this year until they bitched out on it.

Cleet's Rating Index: 19

Where I Was: I was in my first year of grad school, bartending and catering to pay bills so I was in full bum mode. I literally woke up at 3 PM and went to sleep at 6 AM. Catfish was nice enough to invite me over to his then-girlfriend's new house. A short side story: I watched the AFC Championship Game at our apartment by myself drinking leftover Modelo from my friends' engagement party weeks earlier. I was in such a celebratory mood at the Patriots 21-3 lead I about passed out at halftime and only regained clarity in time to watch the Pats piss away the 4th quarter, good times.

Anyway, watching the game was fine and relaxing since neither of us had a huge rooting interest. Of course, I had to make a move in bad form. While wolfing down nachos I dropped a chunk of salsa on the girl's brand new white rug. Awkward and sad, I scrubbed the best I could with a moist paper towel.

What Happened in the World: Two days before the game the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published a report that global climate change is "very likely" to have been caused by humans. Since then the definition of "very likely" has been debated. Note to everyone, stop making global warming jokes when it is freezing outside, you're an idiot.

Record of Note: Devin Hester set a record when he returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a TD. Here is a Cloverfield version of the play:



Later in the quarter Reggie Wayne caught a 53-yard TD pass from Manning. This marked the first time in Super Bowl history two players from the same college scored consecutive TDs. What was the school you say? U already know.

Game MVP: Pey-Pey went for 247 with a TD and a pick, but his big moment was in the 2nd half when he led the drive that gave them the lead 16-14, a lead that they would not relinquish(said in Facenda voice).

LVP: Sex Cannon. He fumbled a snap and with the Bears down 5 and needing a big drive he threw a pick-6 to Kelvin Haden that put the game out of reach.

Most Memorable Play: For me it is still the pick-6 that put the game out of reach.

NFL Fallout: The Bears were never able to regain their defensive prowess from this season. Urlacher began getting hampered by injuries and Lovie was nearly dragged into oblivion by sticking with Grossman for so long. They traded Thomas Jones and eventually released Benson. They traded their second-round pick for Gaines Adams(RIP) and acquired Jay Cutler in a huge deal with the Broncos. It did not work out so well this past year but the Bears brought in Mark Martz, which may make things much better or much worse.

The Colts continued their success and while there are many reasons, Bill Polian among them, it is #18 that drives the train. Manning has brought along new receivers to replace the old and repeatedly comes up big in big games. In a few days he will try to get the Colts their second title in 3 years.

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Jay Cutler Trade Done, Backlash Not So Much

The Denver Broncos sent Jay Cutler and a 5th-round pick (140th overall) to the Chicago Bears for two first round picks (18th this year and 2010), a 3rd-round pick (84th overall) and Kyle Orton.

Jay Cutler's critics continue to weigh-in saying he's a crybaby and should accept that he's no different than any other NFL player aka a piece of meat. Calling NFL players a piece of meat is nothing new, but for all of the critics out there when it comes to employment, all of us (more like 95%) are pieces of meat. If a company can replace you with someone cheaper, with less benefits, and lose no productivity there's a good chance they'll do it. The problem is, the ego doesn't like to think of one's self as a piece of meat, the way some are so eager to describe NFL players. As a friend recently put it, "If you're told that you're going to be replaced and 10-15 companies want desperately to hire you, but at the last second your replacement pulls out, are you still going to be eager to stick with the same company?" Of course not, but for some reason, Cutler's being painted as a bad guy.

Not being a fan of his performance is one thing, but to label him as a crybaby for this breakup is refusing to put oneself in Cutler's shoes. He, like any player in professional sports, has a limited amount of time to make his living. He's about to be 26 and if he were to continue playing for the Broncos (knowing they might be looking to move him at every turn), he'll quickly be through his prime and no longer as desirable. He made a decision that was right for him, no different than any other employee in any other business would. He made a decision and stood by it. If Cutler's not a leader then the Broncos should be ecstatic to get rid of the man they signed to a six-year, $48 million dollar contract, right? He didn't hold the Broncos hostage, they got fair compensation and now both sides can move on. If demanding this trade makes Cutler a crybaby, what does that make Julius Peppers? He's demanded a trade, but refuses to allow the Panthers to trade him.

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Just How Bad Was Jake?

I'm a Del-homey. I like his fire, even if his antics can sometimes wear thin. On Sunday, however, he was bad, historically bad. The good news for the Panthers, they got the win. More precisely, Peppers somehow managed to chase Andrew Walter with reckless abandon and make cerebral plays at the same time, DeAngelo had over 100 yards rushing and the team forced three turnovers. It was a great effort across the board, except for one problem.

Jake stunk.

This article is more notes than prose, but the format works better that way.

To get things started off, here's a trivia question: 7 Panther quarterbacks have thrown 3 or more INTs in a game, can you name them?

Jake became just the second quarterback since the merger in 1970 to complete fewer than 30 percent of his passes and throw four interceptions in a victory, according to STATS LLC. Cincinnati's Ken Anderson went 4-for-19 with four interceptions in a 14-10 victory over the Raiders on Oct. 19, 1975. (AP)

Jake's anemic passer rating was not the worst by a winning QB. In 2006, Bears QB Rex Grossman posted a 1.3 passer rating (6-19, 3 INTs) in a win over the Vikings. 30 years earlier, Norm Snead of the New York Giants posted a 0.0 passer rating (3-14, 26 yds, 2 INTs) in a 12-9 win over the Redskins.

Hands down Jake’s worst game as a passer. Set Panther career lows in completions, completion percentage, quarterback rating, yards and yards per attempt. He also tied his career high with 4 interceptions. Prior to this game, his worst two games were in 2003, a loss @ Dallas and a win @ Tampa.

Jake's Career Worsts (Starts)
25.9% completion – Old Record: 37.5% (9-23) (Dallas 2003)
12.3 QB rating – Old record: 15.9 (TB 2003)
72 yards passing – Old Record: 96 (TB 2003)
2.7 yards/attempt – Old Record: 4.2 y/a (TB 2003)

Fewest completions in a game since joining the Panthers. His previous low was nine completions, which he did in both above mentioned games

4 Int Games: 2000 (with Saints) against Carolina and 2004 against the Eagles. Just the 5th time in 77 games regular season games, he’s thrown 3 or more picks, but 2nd time this season (TB). Also threw 3 INTs in the NFC championship against Seattle in 2006.

Completed just five passes after the first drive of the game (2 completions for 16 yards). He had four 1st quarter completions (4/8 1 Int), three 2nd quarter completions (3/9 1 Int) and 0 in the 2nd half (0/10 2 Ints)

Jake’s second longest play of the day was drawing a 15-yard “major” facemask penalty.

The Impact on Steve Smith
One reception for 9 yards. Only been held to fewer yards twice since 2002. In 2006 he was held without a catch against the Falcons and in 2002 1 catch for 3 yards against the Browns. Ironically, both wins. Just the 6th time since 2002 season being held to one catch. It should be noted that the coaches did nothing else to get Smitty involved.

Panthers Franchise Numbers
Lowest QB rating for a Panther (more than 10 attempts) since 2002 Randy Fasani: 0.0 (not a typo) against Tampa Bay. 5 of 18, 46 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs, 3 sacks.

9th game and 1st win with 4 INTs. Kerry Collins had 4 games, Jake 2, and Chris Weinke 1. Last two games had INTs split between multiple QBs. The team record for most INTs thrown in one game: 5 (Rams 1995)

26th regular season game with Carolina having 3 or more INTs. Team record in those games: 3-23. Other two wins: 2005 @ Detroit (Delhomme) and 1999 @ San Fran (Beuerlein).

Panther Turnovers
The only year that the Panthers did not have at least 4 turnovers in one game: 2006.

The 5th win out of 33 games with 4 or more turnovers. Never won a game with more than 4 TOs.

Trivia Answer: The seven QBs that have thrown a 3 INT game for the Panthers: Kerry Collins (8), Jake Delhomme (5), Steve Beuerlein (4), Chris Weinke (4), Rodney Peete (1), Randy Fasani (1), and Jack Trudeau (1).

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Home Opener Looms for Carolina Panthers

Carolina's season took a huge first step against San Diego this past Sunday. They won and outplayed a "very good" Chargers team for three plus quarters. The home opener, however, has been been a constant source of pain for Panthers fans. Not since 2003, when Jake Delhomme replaced Rodney Peete at halftime have the Panthers won a season debut. The problems don't stop there.

In the four subsequent home openers, the Panthers have seen: Steve Smith, Kris Jenkins, Travelle Wharton, and Dan Morgan all lost to season-ending injuries. The first games in Bank of America Stadium have not been kind to the Carolina faithful. In fact, if the Panthers lose Sunday to Chicago, the team will be under .500 at home under Head Coach John Fox. The fanbase has warmed quickly to this team, and if they win Sunday, the nation should be ready for an all-out assault on sports radio talk shows. If the Panthers fall flat at home, once again, the natives will be growing restless. They were 0-5 at home last season, before finally winning two of their last three.

Another cause for concern lies in the playoff race. The Bears announced their presence with authority with their impressive win over Indianapolis. With neither team guaranteed a division crown, they may be competing for the same wildcard spots. If the Panthers lose, it's not doom and gloom, but their margin of error for the remainder of the season will be greatly decreased. With their final five games of the season against potential playoff teams, the Panthers would love to be in the NFC South driver's seat heading into the home stretch.

For the Panthers to emerge victorious, QB Jake Delhomme will need to continue to use multiple weapons in the passing game, and the running back tandem will need to be more effective than the Bears running game. On the defensive side, the secondary must not get lulled to sleep and give up big plays. The Bears gameplan against the Colts was well conceived and executed. Carolina has to be ready to alter their plan in response. If the Panthers are able to avoid costly turnovers (ie give the Bears a short field), and the time of possession battle remains close, it should be their first home opener win in five years.

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