AFC & NFC Championships: Patriots @ Broncos, 49's @ Seahwawks

I guess we'll see Submariner. I guess we'll see.

 

One thing I haven't seen a lot of discussion on was Wes Welker's offensive PI that knocked Aqib Talib out of the game. The series before it, NE got a Ticky-tack off PI call, yet Welker blasts Talib before a pass is thrown, and nothing. Simms and Nance were an embarrassment, too, with their obvious pro-Manning bias.

 

[video=youtube;SJn64kkpOSc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SJn64kkpOSc[/video]


In a stroke of timing that, depending on your perspective, is lucky genius or tragi-comedy, maybe both, a Nike television spot prominently features Sherman.

 

Belichick blasted Welker for that, I see. Dirty play. I think when you're clearly guilty of such an act, and a player is seriously injured because of it, you should sit at least one game. In this case, Welker should have to sit the Super Bowl out.

I don't think many regulars here cared about the game, so I think that explains the limited discussion about it. There's, what, 2 Denver fans on this board? Do we have any NE fans here? Denver fans aren't going to cry about the dirty play.

 

Dude I'll bet you straight up. I don't need any points.

 

Denver isn't physical enough to beat SEA (or SF). That's why I thought the SB was last night.

Seattle's been arguably the best team all season and they match-up against Denver as well as any defense can. This reminds me a lot of Oak/TB.

It's almost kind of nice to be facing Peyton Manning and not Kaepernick and his running/scrambling ability. That ability of his is the only reason the 49ers were in the game last night. Could have easily been sacked 3 or 4 more times probably. If Alex Smith is in there Seattle dominates.

Manning is a statue. With Seattle generating pressure with their pass rush and the secondary covering on the back end, Peyton Manning is going to have a long day. This isn't even taking in to account what the weather conditions could be.

And Russell Wilson can finally face a softer defense. Last 4 games it's been Arz, Stl, NO and SF. That's freaking tough right there. And he saved his best performance for SF in the NFCCG. Percy Harvin will also be welcomed back to the game.

Seattle has been the most complete team all year and will prove it in the SB. Honestly feel confident they will win.

 

I disagree several of the items in the above post about Seattle, but they should knock Denver out quick and easy. I'm not expecting a blowout, but I expect they'll take the lead early and probably maintain a full-touchdown lead the entire game to cruise somewhat comfortably.

If that was Wilson's "best" performance, though, I'd be worried about him in big games. He was average. His stats took a nice boost from a 51-yarder with Seattle backed up and Whitner standing around watching the play like he was a spectator (I am honestly wondering if he forgot he was in the game at that moment). It's not a knock on Wilson. Just saying I've seen far better out of him. Aside from a couple of plays he extended, I thought his game was pretty mediocre. As the analysts said last, night, his previous, what 6 games (before yesterday) have been pretty lackluster. That being said, I still have no doubt they beat Denver soundly.

 

Stay classy, Seattle. You know it's a dick move if even Richard Sherman himself is denouncing it:

From sfgate.com........... "But things turned ugly as (Bowman) was being carted off the field, as video shows him getting pelted with food being thrown or dropped from the stands.

Combine this unfortunate incident with cornerback Richard Sherman’s postgame rant, and the Seahawks aren’t exactly making a lot of friends around the country leading up to the Super Bowl.

Reports on Monday suggested Bowman may have torn his ACL and MCL.

For what it’s worth, Sherman came out and denounced the behavior in his column for Sports Illustrated.

“One thing I can’t accept,” Sherman wrote, “is what I read after the game about Seahawks fans throwing food at 49ers linebacker Navorro Bowman as he was being carted off the field with his knee injury. If it’s true, it’s beyond terrible. That’s as low as it gets.”


The NFL players, as much as they get at each other, all really seem to respect one another as a fraternity of brothers, so I'm sure this type of behavior is upsetting to players (like the various times you hear fans cheering when an opposing player is injured, or the wave going on at The Stick this year during an opponents' injury timeout).

 

It was his best performance out of the 4 tough defenses he's faced the past 4 games is what I was saying.

GW TD throw was a dime

And the throw to Baldwin was also great because of the time he bought to make the throw, plus the fact he still had to bomb it with a guy about to hit him. Guy is a warrior.

 

Has anybody seen the video of Walter Thurman returning the fumble for a TD? The refs called forward progress, and Fox never replayed it, but it sure looked like it should have been a Seattle TD.

 

Denver's offense vs Seattle's defense is going to be the focus for the next two weeks.

What's interesting is that the real match up will be Seattle's O vs Denver's D, and the fact Denver's D is the worst defense Seattle will have played since week 11 (ranked by DVOA). Denver's D is not an elite unit.

Seattle won't have much trouble moving the ball this game imo.

 

I'm talking about Denver's D as a whole and not just one aspect of it.

Ranked by DVOA they were 15th this year. Good/decent, just not elite.

 

He's taken some hits, but no doubt, he's been in a slump the last 7. Or it's a regression to the mean. He's incredibly intelligent and athletic, so he has that going for him, and he'll probably figure it out.

 

And it's easy to laugh at it, but Harvin will be back for the SB. That's a huge plus for Seattle's offense.

 

Seattle's offense is ranked 7th by DVOA.

I think Wilson will be in a position to have a really good game in the SB.