Super Bowl 50: Perspective On Peyton (Or Why QB Wins Are A Dumb Stat)

Good afternoon, Bronco fans! Tomorrow is the big day and I’ll get to a few final thoughts about that game, but first, I wanted to talk about the career of one player who will most likely be playing the final game of his NFL career.

Of course, that’s Peyton Manning, a player who we have discussed countless times this season and who I discussed a fair amount a couple of days ago as to what he’ll need to keep doing to give the Broncos a chance to win. But I don’t want to focus on what he’s done this season (one point aside that I’ll get out of the way early), nor do I want discussion in this thread to focus on this season alone, because that’s not the focus of this piece.

Instead, I want to focus on his career and why some of the narratives that come along with his career really need to be tossed aside and that we recognize him as one of the best to play in the game and that total wins or playoff wins don’t really put his career into proper perspective.
Continue reading Super Bowl 50: Perspective On Peyton (Or Why QB Wins Are A Dumb Stat)

On The Issue Of Personal Foul Penalties

In the Patriots’ playoff game against the Chiefs early this year, we saw Danny Amendola as a punt returner deliver a brutal blindside hit on a gunner to prevent him from downing the ball deep in Patriots territory.  He was flagged for a personal foul, but because it took place on the Patriots’ 5 yard line, it only cost the team 2.5 yards, a penalty markoff that hardly felt like it matched the foul.

Perhaps in response to this, Roger Goodell just delivered this from his press conference:

I think this is too harsh, and I hope the Competition Committee doesn’t pass it.  Players can play honest, good faith football and still accidentally commit personal fouls.  Fear of an ejection after just one could make the offender play too tenuously.

What I have long argued for instead is for the NFL to create a “penalty box” for personal fouls.  A player that commits one has to sit out X number of plays on his side (offense or defense).  The number of plays could increase if multiple personal fouls occur in one game.  You’d likely have to employ an new official completely in charge of the penalty box to enforce it and give the incumbent officials less to think about it, but the NFL can certainly afford it.  Finally, unlike hockey obviously the team needs to be allowed to make a substitution, as playing 11 on 10 would be far too harsh.

Super Bowl 50: Broncos With Key Tasks Ahead Of Them

In continuing my look at Super Bowl 50, I wanted to focus on the Broncos this time around.

My focus is going to be more about particular players, including obvious candidates and a few who might get overlooked in terms of the impact they could have on the game.

I’ll start with the offense and work my way to the defense, starting with the most obvious candidate for debate, given how he’s fared this season.
Continue reading Super Bowl 50: Broncos With Key Tasks Ahead Of Them

2016 Broncos Offseason Road Map

So we’re three days away from the Super Bowl, and no matter what happens, that will the conclusion of the Broncos’ outstanding 2015 season. For John Elway and the front office, there will be time to either celebrate or grieve, but that time will be limited. That’s because Elway will face what will easily be the most challenging offseason during his tenure as general manager. There is much that needs to be done, and it needs to be done in only a month’s time, as the start of the 2016 league year—and thus free agency—is on March 9.

So, because I may not get time to post this promptly after the Super Bowl, I’ll provide you with my 17-point road map as to how I would navigate the rocky offseason terrain that lies immediately ahead. Suffice to say, with 17 points it’s highly likely that not all of them will be fulfilled to my satisfaction, either to Elway wanting a different direction or players disagreeing on their value. But barring something truly extraordinary on Sunday I doubt the Super Bowl is going to change my mind much. Continue reading 2016 Broncos Offseason Road Map

Super Bowl 50: Examining The Panthers

Hello, Bronco fans! How cool is it that your favorite team gets to play in Super Bowl 50?

It’s been amazing to watch how the team has enjoyed so much success ever since John Elway took over team operations. The Broncos have found a way to excel, even with question marks looming around the team each seasons. One only needs to look at the Broncos the past five seasons to see how much adversity the team has gone through, yet it has still made the playoffs all five years and reached two Super Bowls.

Now, we know about the adversity the Broncos have gone through this season, but if we can weather Tebowmania, the uncertainty of Peyton Manning coming back from a neck injury, multiple injuries that forced the Broncos to start career backups at many positions in 2013, suspensions to key players who violated the league’s drug policies, and all the attention that got focused on Manning chasing passing records – and that’s just the start of the list – then we shouldn’t have problems dealing with some of the uncertainties that surround our favorite team in Super Bowl 50.
Continue reading Super Bowl 50: Examining The Panthers