Steelers' Super Bowl victory highlights '08 season's top 10 stories
Looking back on the 2008 NFL season, it would seem as though Tom Brady's blown-out knee in Week One would serve as the launching point for the year's top story lines. In reality, however, the seeds of what transpired throughout '08 were sewn far earlier.
From the shocking news of NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw's death in August to the hiring of rookie head coaches in the aftermath of downtrodden campaigns in Miami, Atlanta and Baltimore, America's most popular sport proved yet again that it's not confined to the window between September and early February.
Culminating in the Steelers' sixth Super Bowl title, '08 didn't skimp on the dramatics that have become staples in the professional football landscape. Some of what we saw was inspiring (the resurgence of supposedly over-the-hill QBs Kurt Warner, Chad Pennington and Kerry Collins), some was disappointing (trigger-happy Plaxico Burress' nightclubbing nonsense) and some was perversely entertaining (the Lane Kiffin-Al Davis melodrama in Oakland). All contributed to the flavor of the season that was.
As voted on by the PFW editorial team, we take our annual look at the 10 most significant stories of the past year.
1. Steelers reclaim perch atop NFL hierarchy
More than any other franchise in the NFL's decorated history, the Steelers have best fostered sustained excellence. The first club to emerge triumphant in the Super Bowl six times, it successfully has passed down its championship lineage from earlier eras. In his second season guiding the club, coach Mike Tomlin has started to carve out his own legacy, admirably following in the daunting footsteps of Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll. He formulated the blueprint for the Steelers' Super Bowl title, and the players executed it brilliantly, from a rugged regular season through their date with the Cardinals in Tampa. Still, it would have been all for naught if Ben Roethlisberger hadn't been able to engineer the greatest drive of his career in the Super Bowl's waning minutes. But because he did, Pittsburgh now sits at the head of the NFL table, having the look of a team unlikely to relinquish its spot any time soon.
2. Down goes Brady; Patriots rally back
Sept. 7 was supposed to be the day the Patriots officially spit out the bitter taste left in their mouths from their gut-wrenching defeat to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. Yet with one Bernard Pollard blow to the knee, Tom Brady's ligaments and the Patriots' hopes for Super Bowl vindication were shredded simultaneously. At least that's what most figured, considering the reigning league MVP was more than just the face of the franchise, he also was the only quarterback on the roster to have started an NFL game. Yet, unheralded backup Matt Cassel filled in better than anyone could have imagined, piloting the Pats to a surprising 11-5 finish. Still, Brady's injury had as singular an effect on leveling the leaguewide landscape as any injury could.
3. Gene Upshaw succumbs to pancreatic cancer
Less than a month before the season was set to kick off, one of the league's most influential figures of all time, Gene Upshaw, fell victim to the cancer that took his life shortly after being diagnosed. As dominant as he was as a guard for the Raiders, Upshaw's lasting legacy is his stewardship as executive director of the NFL Players Association for 25 years. Under his watch, the NFL experienced unprecedented growth, and the players he represented and the clubs they played for reaped the benefits. His crowning achievement came in 1993 when he helped craft a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement that has since been extended multiple times. Nevertheless, Upshaw's tough bargaining tactics rendered him a most controversial union boss. Many players and owners wondered if they could navigate the tumultuous waters ahead without mutual cooperation. Only time will tell how Upshaw's replacement - yet to be decided - will fare in a position defined by his predecessor for so many years.
4. Lions set new standard for football futility
In the Buccaneers' inaugural season of 1976, coach John McKay's biting humor served as the only respite for a 0-14 club believed to be the worst in league history. Yet, Rod Marinelli's Lions bested those Bucs by two games, trudging through a 0-16 debacle that only furthered the depression of financially faltering Detroit. With a roster bereft of talent, Marinelli spent the season like a prisoner on death row, awaiting his fate without having the means to save himself. Nevertheless, with Matt Millen's train wreck of a tenure as club president mercifully finished alongside Marinelli's, the Lions can at least entertain the mantra of hope springing eternal.
5. Favre lands with Jets after brief retirement
When NFL career passing leader and three-time MVP Brett Favre announced his intentions early last summer to come out of retirement, a bitter war of words was waged between Packers brass and the Green Bay legend. When a resolution to trade Favre to the Jets was finalized, Gang Green welcomed the rocket-armed quarterback with euphoric glee. Yet Favre's 18th season failed to pan out the way he and the Jets had hoped. For every laser-powered TD strike, there seemed to be two momentum-halting gaffes. He was at his worst down the stretch, his play factoring significantly into the club's losses in four of its final five games, as the Jets stayed home for the postseason.
6. Floundering franchises saved by new coaches
Expectations for the four first-time NFL head coaches weren't too high in 2008. The belief was that Tony Sparano, Mike Smith, John Harbaugh and Jim Zorn simply would, at best, lay the groundwork in 2008 for sustained success in the years to come. Yet all but Zorn were shockingly outstanding in catapulting their franchises to the playoffs in Year One. For Sparano in Miami, it called for schematic ingenuity, introducing "Wildcat" into the league's lexicon. For Smith and Harbaugh, it came by entrusting a pair of rookie quarterbacks with leading their offenses. All three got their players to buy into the plans the neophyte skippers were selling.
7. 2008 draft class skips rookie learning curve
In the mental and physical gauntlet that is an NFL season, tepid production is expected out of rookies. Apparently, the '08 class didn't receive the memo. From New England's Jerod Mayo to Denver's Ryan Clady to Tennessee's Chris Johnson, rookie revelations arguably made their mark more profoundly than the league had ever seen. None captured the imagination of the football community like QBs Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco. Both piloted their clubs to the postseason while laying waste to the theory that quarterbacks need to spend at least a year learning the complexities of an offense before settling in under center.
8. All-time coaching stalwarts bid farewell
Mike Holmgren and Tony Dungy couldn't have fared more differently in their final season at the helm. Holmgren, the tutor of Brett Favre in Green Bay who had spent the better part of this decade crafting the Seahawks into the NFC West's unquestioned power broker, announced his retirement intentions before the season started, only to labor through a 4-12 farewell tour. Dungy, meanwhile, didn't arrive at his decision until the dust had settled on his seventh straight postseason campaign with the Colts, a record 10th consecutive time he had led a team to the playoffs. Both leave as candidates for Canton. While Dungy's football career is likely complete, there remains a possibility we'll welcome Holmgren back in some capacity a year from now.
9. Cowboys devolve into soap opera
With their matinee-idol quarterback, superstar wide receiver, power-popping running back and talent-oozing defense bolstered by the controversial Adam (Pacman) Jones, the Cowboys began the season with Super Bowl aspirations. But the hoards of clashing personalities and mismanaged egos proved a combustible concoction in Valley Ranch. There was Terrell Owens' reported tirade over Tony Romo and Jason Witten's kinship. Pacman's penchant for drunken debauchery surfaced again. Marion Barber's toughness was questioned. WR Roy Williams made minimal impact after his midseason arrival from Detroit. For those not bleeding Cowboy blue, it was unintentional comedy at its finest.
10. MVP Manning rallies back from knee surgery
Training camp was just weeks away when the Colts' All-Pro quarterback decided his stubborn knee pain needed to be addressed. Diagnosed and treated for an infection, Peyton Manning was sequestered from the team throughout training camp, and he looked nothing like his Hall of Fame self in the season's early going. But as his knee strengthened, he shook off the rust, and the Colts' success followed. After a 3-4 start, the club rebounded to win its final nine regular-season games, cementing Manning's MVP credentials.
(c) 2002-2009 by Pro Football Weekly LLC
Cardinals made the game extra super
For a few minutes, viewers of a riveting Super Bowl attempted to digest the once-imponderable notion of a Cardinal rule.
The Arizona Cardinals, formerly a punch line, led Sunday's NFL championship game into the final minute -- only to lament a late touchdown which enabled the Pittsburgh Steelers to prevail 27-23.
In only one respect, it was a typical Cardinals game, in that they were defeated. But Arizona didn't lose this game. Pittsburgh won it.
It took a perfect pass at a most opportune time to allow Pittsburgh to outlast the resilient Cardinals. With 35 seconds remaining, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger shook off pressure and threw toward Santonio Holmes in the back right corner of the end zone.
There was absolutely no margin for error. If the pass is one foot to the left, it is incomplete. One foot shorter and it is knocked down or intercepted. One foot to the right and it is out of bounds.
Roethlisberger was unerring. Holmes made a spectacular catch and somehow kept both feet in-bounds. Officials called for a video review, during which Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald looked at the replay screen and said: "No ... no ... no ... no ..."
But it was a completion from every angle -- an appropriate punctuation mark to a game that concluded in classic fashion.
"To me, this is the way football should be played,'' NBC's John Madden said as the Steelers revelled in the franchise's record sixth Super Bowl victory. "This is the way the NFL is. This was a heavyweight championship fight.''
At times, it looked like Smokin' Bert Cooper versus Conroy Nelson, or anything featuring a plodding pug named Ken Lakusta. It was a slogfest, more than a slugfest, for three quarters.
With 15 minutes remaining, it appeared that errors would define the 43rd Super Bowl. Along with a rash of penalties, there was a grievous gaffe by Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner.
In the waning seconds of the second quarter, with Arizona situated on Pittsburgh's two-yard line, Warner was intercepted by James Harrison. The Steelers' linebacker proceeded to rumble 100 yards for a touchdown. With time expired in the first half, Jeff Reed nailed the convert to give Pittsburgh a 17-7 lead.
For the longest time, the interception seemed to be the turning point. It was, as a minimum, a 10-point swing. Instead of registering at least a chip-shot field goal, the Cardinals bemoaned an apparent backbreaker of a touchdown.
Pittsburgh had expanded its lead to 20-7 by three-quarter time. With the Cardinals' potent offence stuck in neutral, the Super Bowl was not a compelling spectacle.
The complexion of the game began to change when Arizona assumed possession with 11:30 remaining. Warner completed eight of eight passes on an 87-yard drive, which ended with a one-yard scoring flip to an airborne Fitzgerald.
Warner and Fitzgerald struck again with 2:37 left, collaborating on a 64-yard pass-and-run touchdown to help the Cardinals go ahead 23-20.
"Your emotions are so high with two minutes left,'' Warner said. "You've got the lead and you're thinking, 'There's two minutes left until we're world champions,' but they come back and make a great play.''
It was as great a play as you will see on football's largest stage. Holmes' championship-winning catch put him in an echelon with Steelers receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, whose graceful receptions were such a key part of Pittsburgh's dynasty of the 1970s.
Appropriately, the balletic Swann was at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium on Sunday to watch Holmes' heroics -- including four catches on the game's final drive.
Although Holmes was deservedly decorated as the Super Bowl's most valuable player, some accolades should be reserved for the improbable challenger.
"I'm so proud of this football team,'' Warner said after throwing for 377 yards and three touchdowns. "That's one of the reasons this one doesn't hurt as much as it could have.
"We gave ourselves a chance to win the world championship, and the other team went out and won it.''
(c) Canwest News Service 2009
Dixon's backup role could have super ring to it
The text messages and voicemails haven't stopped for a week now. Congratulations, they all say, way to go. But also, there's something else.
See, Dennis Dixon never knew he had so many friends. And family, for that matter. Long-lost buddies, distant uncles and cousins, "people you ain’t talked to in a while."
They're all very happy for him. They all want the same thing.
Tickets.
His answer to almost everyone is the same: Sorry, he has 13 Super Bowl tickets. They're all taken.
"It's easy to say 'no,' " Dixon says, chuckling.
It's still hard to believe he has to.
Interesting, isn't it, how things have turned? A little more than a year ago, Dixon watched the BCS Championship Game on television from his couch. He remembers thinking he should have been there, along with the rest of the Ducks. He still believes he would have been there, if not for a knee twist of fate a couple of months earlier.
Here he is now, packing for the week-long trip to Tampa, excited to participate in football's biggest game.
"I can't even describe it," Dixon says. "To have the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl ... "
Of course, it's very unlikely Dixon will actually play. We use "participate" in its broadest sense. Barring injury, he'll spend next Sunday evening holding a clipboard on the sidelines.
For the Pittsburgh Steelers' rookie and third-team quarterback, it's a pretty wild ride, anyway.
"I'm just happy to be a part of it," he says. "This is my work. This is my job. I love every bit of it."
Every bit of the one game he played, last month against Cleveland (one complete pass in one attempt, two carries for minus-3 yards). All of the countless practice repetitions of opponents' plays, mimicking the other team's quarterback, trying to avoid the Steelers' very fast, very physical defense, living off the compliments he gets after they shut somebody down.
"I've been getting a whole lot of them," he says.
Before that game against Cleveland, Dixon ran the Wildcat formation in practices, pretending to be a running back, taking direct snaps. And it reminded Dixon of the quarterback's multitasking role in Chip Kelly's offense.
Heck, in some ways, the entire situation has reminded him of Oregon. Pittsburgh's devoted fan base reminds him of Oregon's - "the only difference is the 'Terrible Towels,' " he says. And the Steelers' run to the Super Bowl reminds him of the Ducks in 2007, at least until his ACL tore.
"We had everything going our way," he says. "We were rolling. Everything was clicking. It's the same feeling."
Sure, Dixon would like to have played more. But he recognizes the obvious. Ben Roethlisberger is much better, Byron Leftwich has much more experience. Dixon is learning, feeling his way, believing his time will come.
"I played for so long, it's tough," he says. "But I realize this game is based on the mental. I'm not always ready."
There's been talk Dixon could be the second coming of "Slash," which was the nickname for Kordell Stewart, the versatile former Steeler who played quarterback and receiver. Others see him some day as an every-down QB.
Kelly, for one, thinks so. The Ducks' offensive coordinator says Dixon is sometimes "mislabeled" because he can run, and suggests a combination of athletic ability and mental acuity gives him the chance to be a successful NFL quarterback.
"He's got the quick release ... and he's really sharp at making decisions," Kelly says, "and one thing people don't realize is how hard he works and studies."
Dixon figures the offseason will be important. He plans to strengthen his grasp on the Steelers' offense, and to work toward quicker, better reading of defenses, and just see what happens.
For now, running the scout team on weekdays and holding a clipboard on Sundays isn't a bad way to spend a season. Especially this week, and next Sunday.
If he earns enough compliments for mimicking Kurt Warner, he'll probably also earn a Super Bowl ring.
Yeah, it's different. Dixon carried those Ducks. He's just along for this ride. But it's super, anyway.
Copyright (c) 2009 - The Register-Guard
Eagles-Cardinals: Is Donovan McNabb to Blame for Loss?
The Philadelphia Eagles' loss on the NFC Championship game was a major disappointment on so many levels.
Some people are going to blame Donovan McNabb. McNabb does deserve his share of the blame, but he wasn't the reason they were here in the first place.
The reason this team was here was the pass defense that shutdown the Vikings and Giants. They were completely outclassed in the NFC Championship game...
In the first meeting, they held Larry Fitzgerald to five catches for 65 yards and two touchdowns. Kurt Warner had a 65.7 QB rating with three touchdowns and three picks.
Yesterday, they had no answer for Warner and Fitzgerald. That is why they ultimately lost this game.
Brian Westbrook was also disappointing. He had four touchdowns in the first meeting. He was held to 45 yards rushing, 23 yards receiving, and zero touchdowns yesterday. Yes, he was hurt, but they just didn't get enough from the running back position. David Akers was also terrible. The normally reliable kicker missed an extra point and a field goal.
There was also the no-call possible interference call on fourth-and-10 late in the fourth quarter. I don't want to hear about it. If the official throws the flag, he's deciding the game. If he doesn't, he's deciding the game.
There was contact, but it looked incidental. Kevin Curtis still had a chance to make the play and didn't come through. It was close, but I thought it was a good no-call.
Here is where the blame falls on McNabb.
It can be hard to blame a guy who throws three touchdowns, 375 passing yards, and posts a 97.4 QB rating with no help from his running game. The problem with McNabb is the same problem that has plagued him his entire career. He just isn't accurate enough. He went 28 for 47, which is a 59.6 completion percentage. In a short-throw West Coast offense that is not acceptable.
He was overthrowing guys and throwing behind guys. He played a terrible first half and that played a big role in the 24-6 deficit.
Give him credit for getting hot and getting the lead back. He made some great plays in the third quarter.
But with the game on the line, you saw why Warner is a Hall of Famer and you saw McNabb throwing behind receivers. That is one reason they had only 25 points and not the 48 points they scored in the regular season meeting.
He is just not accurate enough for the West Coast Offense. He never has been. In a game where his team wasn't on its A game, a Hall of Fame quarterback puts the team on his shoulders. By the time he started making plays, they were down by 18 points. You should be able to give him credit for the great second half he had, while also giving him blame for the bad first half.
Inconsistency and poor accuracy is one reason he is 1-4 in the NFC title game. The only time he got over 60 percent completion percentage in a title game was in 2004 when he completed 65.4 percent of his passes in the NFC Championship Game.
It is no coincidence that was also the year the Eagles went to the Super Bowl.
It was a good season for Philadelphia, a team that after the Baltimore game looked like it was heading for rebuilding. They rebounded nicely and had a good playoff run.
Arizona is a good team, but this was another lost opportunity for the Eagles. You have to find a way to win that game especially after the momentum shifted your way.
Philadelphia has to find more quality targets for McNabb to throw the ball to and they need to get a power running back so that they can convert short runs and goal line touchdowns.
You have to wonder how many runs this team has left in it with Andy Reid, Jim Johnson, McNabb, and Westbrook.
fantasyfootballmaniaxs.com
Jake Delhomme Just One of Carolina Panthers' Many Problems
Carolina just played really bad football. Everything leading up to this game was pointing to the Panthers walking away with this game. Carolina was third in the NFL in rushing yards and had the better defense. All they had to do to win this game was stop Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald.
One of the biggest problems was definitely the six turnovers by Jake Delhomme. But if you watched the game, the whole first half Larry Fitzgerald was all alone. He was not properly covered at all. Fitzgerald was covered by the safety Harris by himself for most of the first half.
The Panthers should have put either Lucas or Gamble in Fitzgerald's face and had either Godfrey or Harris cover over top. You just cannot leave a receiver of that caliber open that much.
Jake Delhomme really needs to open his eyes and either play better football or call it quits. Regardless of what Delhomme does, Carolina needs to do what they can to pick up one of the high caliber QBs coming up from college, such as Bradford, McCoy, White, or Tebow. There are a good number of QBs coming up from college, and the Panthers need to focus on that.
Jake Delhomme is the main reason we lost the three of the four regular season games we lost, and he is not the reason we won a good portion of them. We can attach that credit to Williams, Stewart, and Smith.
Carolina is a lot better than this, and it is shameful to sit back and watch games such as this.
Copyright (c) 2008 Bleacher Report, Inc
Green Bay Cleans House On Defense
Yesterday, the story was that Bob Sanders might be fired. Today, the story is so much more.
Defensive coaches that were fired, according to the National Football Post: defensive ends coach Carl Hairston, defensive tackles coach Robert Nunn, secondary coach Kurt Schottenheimer, cornerbacks coach Lionel Washington and defensive quality control coach Joe Whitt Jr.
In case you were wondering if anyone actually was retained, the answer is yes. Assistant head coach/linebackers Winston Moss, one of the highest regarded assistants (not just in Green Bay, but in the NFL) was kept on staff. Why? Probably because he's been quietly gathering attention as a head coaching candidate, even interviewing for the St. Louis job.
So what now? Well, Green Bay needs to hire some new assistants to go with a shiny new defensive coordinator. Any suggestions?
Copyright 2008 Sportsblogs, Inc.
Chargers Try To Complete Improbable Run
If someone would have told the Denver Broncos three weeks ago that they would be playing the San Diego Chargers in the final game of the season for the AFC West title, they would have looked at that person funny. Three weeks later and that joke has become a reality.
Denver has lost two straight games to go along with the Chargers three game winning streak. It results in the final regular season game of the NFL season being played in San Diego for the AFC West division title.
The Chargers were left for dead three weeks ago with a 4-8 record. Their offense was no longer one of the best in the league and their defense had completely collapsed. Then, all of a sudden, it was like they woke up from a bad dream.
Everything started to click for both the offense and defense and now they are actually many experts' pick to win this game and their division. They do still have to beat Denver tonight.
The Broncos went in the opposite direction as the Chargers. Their offense looked unstoppable early in the year, but as of late has not matched their early season success. they get one more shot to save their season and go to the playoffs in this game.
The game has been picked by NBC to be the flex game ahead of the Dallas, Philadelphia game and also ahead of the Dolphins, Jets match up. The flex schedule allows for the Sunday night game to be changed the last several weeks of the season.
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