Peter is King: The Bearded One needs "Months"

Well, the Super Bowl is over, The Knicks are down at 11 at Halftime to the Lakers at the time of this post and the Rangers are retiring a Number that doesn't deserve to be retired. So what is a College student to do when he runs a Jets Blog for kicks and giggles? TALK ABOUT BRETT FARVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On the Pre-Pre-Pre-Pre Game on NBC yesterday, Peter King said that Farve and Tannenbaum had spoken this week and that GM Nerdlington had told Farve, according to King, that the quarterback doesn't need to “rush” his decision and that he can take a period of “months” if necessary to make it.

The Jets would come out later in the day and denied the report, from an article in Newsday (LI), Erik Boland wrote this about the Jets response....

"A Jets spokesman refuted the report, saying the team hopes to have an indication from Favre by the time the NFL combine begins Feb. 18. That would be consistent with what general manager Mike Tannenbaum said Jan. 21, when coach Rex Ryan was introduced. Speaking on WFAN that afternoon, Tannenbaum said he wanted some "initial feedback" from Favre by the time the combine starts in Indianapolis. It lasts until Feb. 24."

Folks, let just face facts and understand that not only will this Farve Thing not end soon, and when this merry-go-round of BS does end, it will stop on Retirement. Farve, in my opinion didn't like playing in New York due to the constant critics that came out when he was struggling down the stretch. In Green Bay, he was the God, not just a God, and when he messed up, it was looked at more of an abberation then a trend. When the Packers were bad for a couple years and he was throwing more picks then Vinny on a bad day, the Packer fans still loved him. Lets face it, Jets will love you to a point and then we can give up on you very quickly. The Brett Farve has come and gone in this bloggers opinion and now we have to see what direction this team will go. If history is any indication, I got a feeling John Parker-Wilson from Alabama is in our future, ugh......

A Super, Super Bowl

Thanks to NFL.com and You Tube for the Highlights

No need to go play by play with the highlights above and considering if you read this blog you watched the game, I will just give 10 quick hits that I noticed during one of the best Super Bowl's of all time.

1. The Pre-Game hula-baloo actually was informative, minus the Al Roker segments. NBC did a brilliant telecast from beginning to end. I Wonder how Dan Patrick got to do the interview with the trophy presentation. He was just one of many people who cold have done and done that well. Michaels and Madden are the best in business and make Buck and Aikman look like High School football annoucers.

2. The Cardinals deferring was not a smart play. If I have the chance to get the ball first in the Super Bowl with the offense that the Cardinals have, I take the ball and try to score and make a statement. Instead Pittsburgh takes it right down the field and even though they only got 3 points (on a nice challenge by Ken Whisenhunt to nullify a touchdown) it set an early tone for the Steelers.

3. The Cardinals defense was really impressive after they let Pitt take a 10-0 lead early in the 2nd. They did not give up another offensive touchdown until the miracle catch by Holmes and were in the backfield alot of times when the Steelers tried to run with Willie Parker. This defense was able to shut down Parker, Westbrook, DeAngelo Williams, Stewart and Turner during the playoffs this year. My only issue was the fact that the Cardinals were proned to give up the big play when playing a base defense, which they did for most of the final drive for the Steelers.

4. The Steelers defense was more a bend dont break defense in this one, rather then the dominant defense we had seen throughout the season. They shut down Fitzgerald until the 4th and didn't let Edgerrin James beat them with a power running game. James Harrison of course had the huge 100 yard INT TD Return to finish off the first half, and was a beast rushing the passer which actually led to 3 seperate holding penalties on Mike Gandy, the LT in charge of blocking him. Polamalu was dissapointing and it really seemed like it was James Harrison and 10 other random guys with him in white jersies

5. This will be alot shorter then the 100 yards that James Harrison had to run. That had to be the best run back in terms of sheer passion by one player in any Super Bowl. Of course it cost my mom 300 bucks for a half time score (she did win the 3rd, 100 bucks to her credit) but people who has the box 7/7 were thrilled when 92 went 100.

6. The refs didn't do a great job and didn't do a bad job. There should be very minimal complaining about how many penalties were called. Other then the Roughing the Passer penalty on Karlos Dansby, I really didn't think any call was really stupid. This was a great game for the fans and should not be bogged down by endless talk about Penalties.

7. Larry Fitzgerald is without question the best PLAYER in the National Football League and his numbers this posteason, 7 Touchdowns and 546 yards recieving will be records that will go along the lines of a 56 game hitting streak and a 100 points in one basketball game.

8. Think about this for one second, Kurt Warner in 3 Super Bowls, has the most yards ever for a Quarterback during his trips to the big game and has the 3 best games in terms of passing yards of all time In 3 games, Warner has passed for 1,156 yards, the most in Super Bowl history. In 4 games, Montana threw for 1,142. In 5 games, Elway threw for 1,128....He played one heck of a game and he will be in the Hall of Fame when he decides to hang em up, which I hope is not soon.
9. What a last second drive for Ben Roethlisberger and MVP Santonio Holmes to win the game for the Steelers. He has the most 4th Quarter/Overtime Game winning drives of any QB since he started playing in 2004 and he had his Joe Montana moment. From a man who was remembered for playing the worst game of his life in a Super Bowl Win and a guy who when he was 10 was selling drugs on the street, to the drive of their life. Big Ben and Santonio were as Big as they can get.

10. Before Yesterday, I would have voted the Rams-Titans Super Bowl XXXIV in the Georgia Dome in January of 2000 as the best Super Bowl of all time. I dont count upsets because they are in a class of their own and deserve it to be that way. Hence why I do not count Giants-Pats, Rams-Pats and Jets-Colts in the ultimate discussion. That game had everything that this one had, (one team a force, one needed a miracle to get in, big lead blown only to get it back later, intense pressure down the stretch) The only thing missing a last second game winning touchdown. Mike Jones made the tackle to win it for the Rams and keep the Titans off the board with a chance to tie in SB 34, but this one did provide a catch and an ending for the ages. In simple terms, BEST SUPER BOWL EVER.

Congrats to the World Champions.....

This was one of the best Super Bowl games I have ever watched, this one will go down with the Likes of Rams-Titans, Jets-Colts and Giants-Pats as Super Bowls which did the fans justice one way or another. What a drive by Big Ben and what a Catch by Super Bowl MVP Santanio Holmes to win the game late in the fourth quarter. I feel bad for Fitzagerald and Warner, they played their butts off and were just a little too short. How ironic that the Cards season ended on a Kurt Warner fumble, what a ball game indeed.

More in depth look at this game in next day or so, until then, Happy Hang-Over!!!

My Super Bowl Champion is.....

The hype has come and gone and the only thing left is the 6 hour pre-game show on NBC before all the random singers come out for no good reason to perform songs not named "The Star-Spangled Banner". At 6:36pm in Tampa Bay, at Raymond James Stadium where the Tampa Bay Bucs play during the regular season, we will be kicking off the final football game of the NFL season.

The Arizona Cardinals, the perennial losers with the QB on his way towards the ultimate redemption and the pair of WR that are the best combo in football will be looking for their first championship since 1947. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the franchise that everyone wants to be, they are the model of consistency. With a QB that is the best at managing the offense and a defense that is the best in football and hits harder then a pair of mack trucks, they will look to become the first team ever to start a new hand of rings, with Super Bowl Championship Number 6.

During the week, I have broken now all the factors for what each team needs to do to win this game and leave Tampa will the Lombardi Trophy and here is how I feel this game will turn out.

The Cardinals will be able to run the football on a consistent basis and will be able to protect the football early on which is going to keep that Steelers Defense on its heels. The Steelers will have their moments on Defense and will without question force at least a turnover to get off the field. The way the Cardinals will come out will be alot like the Giants did in Super Bowl 25 here in Tampa, with a team that will look to control the ball with a power running game and a few clutch throws here and there. The Cardinals will be able to shut down Willie Parker and Roethlisberger will be forced to throw more then wanted and with the injury to Hines Ward limiting his ability, the Cards Defensive backs will be swarming all over the place.

In the end, when the gun sounds and the clock reaches 0:00, Kurt Warner will have thrown for 300 yards and 2 Touchdowns, James and Hightower will combine for over 125 yards rushing and a touchdown and the Steelers in the 4th quarter will just come up short.

My Super Bowl Pick: Cardinals Win Super Bowl XLIII: 21-17, Kurt Warner wins his 2nd Super Bowl MVP.

Enjoy the game today and if anything, lets hope for one as good as last seasons was. Once its over Jets fans, we can tick off another year on the calender for our Super Bowl Drought and of course the game of cat and mouse between Farve and the Jets. But for today, if your a Jets fan, put on something Red and cheer for the Jets of the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals. If the Cardinals can make the Super Bowl, then ANYBODY can.

Super Bowl 43 Preview: The Steelers Defense

Team Stats (Game averages)
Defense
Points- 13.9 (1st in the NFL)
Yards- 237.2 (1st in the NFL)
Pass- 156.9 (1st in the NFL)
Rush- 80.3 (2nd in the NFL)
Sacks- 51 (2nd in the NFL)
Interceptions- 20 (Tied for 6th in the NFL)
Turnover Differential- +4 (11th in the NFL)

Individual Stats
Tackles-James Fairrior (133), James Harrison (101), Ryan Clark (88),
Sacks- James Harrison (16.5), LaMarr Woodley (11.5), Aaron Smith (5.5)
Interceptions- Troy Polamalu (7), Tyrone Carter (3), Bryant McFadden (2), Deshea Townsend(2)

For the final installment, I bring you the Steel Curtain of the 21st Century. The Pittsburgh Steelers 2008 defense was the best in the league and was able to be number one or number 2 in most major categories on the defensive side of the ball. With Dick Lebeau as the Defensive Coordinator and Head Coach Mike Tomlin who was a defensive coordinator in Minnesota and a Defensive Assistant in Tampa Bay, they are well coached and disciplined in every facet of the defensive side of the ball.

Led by former New York Jet, James Farrior and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison, the linebacking core is the bread and butter of this defense. They are a core of players that blitz at will and love to get to the Quarterback. The defensive line, led by DT Casey Hampton is more of a wall that is used to keep blockers off of the Linebackers to keep them free to make plays at will, which of course led to the number one ranking. The secondary has improved leaps and bounds over the past few seasons and with Superstar Safety Troy Polamalu always looming to either make a pick or sack the QB, its not always Harrison and Second year LB LaMarr Woodley that teams have to worry about on the defensive side.

The Fact of the Matter is this, when it comes to what the Steelers need to do to stop this high powered Cardinals Offense they have to do this......Run Blitzing. I feel that the Cardinals are going to try to pound the ball early and get the Steelers on their heels and then hit them with the big play. The Steelers are going have to be very aggressive in shutting the running game down early and forcing Warner to stand in the pocket, where is as mobile as the Statue of Liberty, and make him beat you downfield. Normally this would be a crazy idea to make a throwing team want to throw, but with the style of defense that the Steelers possess, I feel that the tandem of Woodley and Harrison are going to be able to create havoc in the pocket and force Warner into bad situations. Look for a big play from Polamalu if this game plan mentioned above works out like the Steelers would want. Polamalu is an All-Pro safety and was able to get 7 picks during the regular season and one in the AFC Title game win over Baltimore that he took back for the Touchdown that pretty much put the game out of reach.

This matchup has been very interesting to break down and now all the hype and other fun stuff that comes along with Super Bowl week are gone and its time for some Football. On Sunday Morning, I will bring you my final prediction for Super Bowl XLIII, will the Steelers begin a new hand for Super Bowl Rings and make it 6 for the Franchise? or will the Cardinals ride the wave of Kurt Warner and Touchdown Jesus (Larry Fitzgerald) to their first championship of any kind since 1947 when they resided in Chicago. Come back on Sunday Morning to find out who I pick for what should a fun 4 hours of Football on Sunday Evening.

Super Bowl 43 Preview: The Cardinals Defense

Team Stats (Game averages)
Defense
Points- 26.6 (28th in the NFL)
Yards- 331.5 (19rh in the NFL)
Pass- 221.3 (22nd in the NFL)
Rush- 110.3 (16th in the NFL)
Sacks- 31 (14th in the NFL)
Interceptions- 13 (Tied for 17th in the NFL)
Turnover Differential- Even (18th in the NFL)

Individual Stats
Tackles-Karlos Dansby (119), Antrel Rolle (89), Gerald Hayes (88)
Sacks- Bertrand Berry (5), 5 Others tied with 4
Interceptions- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (4), Karlos Dansby (2), Adrian Wilson (2)

When you take a look at the Regular Season defensive stats of the Arizona Cardinals and compare them to the Pittsburgh Steelers same defensive stats, you see a mismatch where you understand the 7 point spread laid out by Las Vegas bookies. Its when you look at the playoff stats of the Cardinals that is when you do a double take and realize that the light switch has been turned on.

They are +9 in the Turnover differential department, Number one in the NFL this postseason. They have 7 sacks in the 3 playoff games which is only 2nd to the Ravens and tied with Pittsburgh, and have 8 interceptions which is number one in the NFL this postseason. Although you can say the stats are not all that great because they played one extra game and Daylight Come and you want to Delhomme threw 6 picks, but its this stat above all else that stands out....Against Michael Turner, Jonathan Stewart, DeAngelo Williams and Brian Westbrook, the Cardinals have only given up on average 77.3 yards in those games on the ground which is over 33 yards less per game then during the Regular Season.

This has forced teams to throw over 40 times on average during the Postseason which has led to more sacks over the last 3 games and Ryan, Delhomme and McNabb have only averaged 6.4 yards per pass attempt, 4th lowest in the Postseason. The Cardinals thanks to teams throwing more also then have more chances to intercept passes, which they have 8 times this year which included 6 in their only road win in the playoffs against the Panthers in Carolina.

Overall, the key for the Cardinals is to try to get to Big Ben as many times as possible, if they are able to keep Willie Parker in check much they have in the other games this postseason, it will force Big Ben to throw which is not always the best recipe for success for the Steelers. The Steeler offensive line, which has been better recently, has given up 49 sacks this season and has seen Byron Leftwhich have to come in a couple times to finish games when Rothlisberger would be hurt. The Cardinals have a ball-hawking type defense and will try to continue their pace in forcing turnovers which will be key to getting that high-powered offense back on the field and get that Steeler Defense tired and off their game.

The Cardinals Defense is the Wild Card in this entire game, and if they show up like the have the past 3 games, then the Cardinals maybe showering in Confetti when this game reaches 0:00 in the 4th Quarter.

Bob Sutton gets pardon from the Governor

King of all Morons and Former Defensive Coordinator Bob Sutton is being retained by Coach Ryan to be a Defensive Assistant and Linebackers Coach. Sutton was the Defensive Coordinator for the last 3 seasons and was pretty much an idiot on most game days. To his credit though, Kerry Rhodes and David Harris were able to succeed under his watchful eye. Of course he should have been tied to a raft and sent down the Hudson River, but I don't own a raft and don't want to waste my time on a person who should be coaching High School, let alone in the National Football League. We'll see how much Sutton helps the Linebackers as they will be the key in the new system being brought in by Ryan from Baltimore. Then again, Ryan I would assume will make sure that Sutton does what he says when he says it. In case you haven't realized it yet, Bob Sutton is a horrible coach and a blind monkey could do a better job, but who can find a good Blind Monkey in this economy?