Ten Topics on Brady vs.Tebow
The Denver Broncos’ shocking playoff victory over the defending AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers was the highest rated NFL wildcard game in 24 years. The Broncos’ not-so-shocking loss to the New England Patriots in week 15 of the regular season was 2011′s highest rated non-playoff game.
On Saturday, January 14th, the Pats and Broncos will meet again in Massachusetts, for what may be the most watched divisional playoff game in sports history. Posted here, for your enjoyment and perusal, are ten factors that mite contribute to the end result for one of the most anticipated and unexpected games of this NFL season. Please feel free to discuss, agree, and argue.
10. Postseason History - This Saturday’s match-up will be the third time these two teams have battled in the playoffs. The Broncos are 2-0 versus the Patriots in postseason history.
9. Defense - Neither team’s defense ranked inside the top 20 during the regular season. The Denver defense ranked 20th overall, while the Pats were ranked 30th in the league. If either of these defenses can make a big play when it matters, it could change the entire scope of the game.
8. Tebow Time – Okay, let’s get it over with. The kid’s allright, and his comeback wins have been both amazing and historic. Tim Tebow is the ultimate x-factor as both a passer and a rusher behind the center position, and it has nothing to do with divine intervention. Even if he never wins another game, we will be talking about this miracle 2011-12 season for years to come.
7. Josh McDaniels – As the head coach of the Broncos in 2010, McDaniels traded up in the draft to take Tebow. After two seasons at the helm in Denver, McDaniels was dismissed, with a win-loss record of 11-17. One year ago this week, he was hired as offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams, but was released at the end of the season. McDaniels was recently picked up by the Patriots to replace Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator, as O’Brien goes on to take over as the new head football coach at Penn State. Coincidence?
6. Weather – A mild winter has woken up early in 2012, bringing a windy and wintry mix of snow and ice across the upper areas of the country. Around game time, winds could be gusting around 25mph, with a low temperature of 12 degrees.
5. The “Tuck Rule” Game – This week marks the ten-year anniversary of the game that sparked the Patriots’ rise to prominence. On January 19th, 2002, New England snatched away a divisional playoff victory over the Oakland Raiders, after a Tom Brady fumble was overturned because his arm was moving forward during a throw. Due to the “tuck rule”, the play was called an incomplete pass instead of a fumble. New England went on to win the game, and on to win their first of three Super Bowl titles. Karma?
4. The Gronk- Rob Gronkowski, the 6’6” New England tight end, is basically the Lebron James of the NFL. Gronk is a freak of nature, a physical specimen that presents match-up issues for any team in the NFL. This season, he broke records for touchdowns (18) and yardage (1,327) for a tight end.
3. Location – Regardless of the weather, Foxboro is a tough place to play. The Patriots (13-3) only lost one game at home this season. Still, the AFC East champions have sputtered in the playoffs recently, losing postseason home games against the Ravens and New York Jets.
2. Brady – The reigning NFL MVP has almost been lost this year in a season dominated by the likes of Brees and Rodgers. Even Tim Tebow’s miracle season has overshadowed Brady’s amazing 2011 passing output. Brady passed for more yards than Aaron Rodgers, and threw fewer interceptions than Drew Brees. Brady started his postseason career at 10-0, but his team has gone 4-4 in their last eight playoff attempts.
1. Motivation – The Patriots are 0-2 in their last two playoffs games at home, losing to the Ravens and the Jets. They come into this game on Saturday with a chip on one shoulder and a weight on the other. The Broncos are playing with house money. They are a team that wasn’t supposed to win, that no one expected to be in this position…kinda like the 2001-2002 New England Patriots.
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Yea, i gotta say. I watch a game here and there and the game Tebow played the other night , I was glad to be watching. Whether a fan or not, watching a well played football game — still is very entertaining. And as far as divine intervention and Tebow— Hey would it kill us to enjoy somethng good and wholesome for a change. With all the bad out there, I say go gettem Tebow.Is it really hurting anybody, Charles Barkley? Sounds like jealousy tome.
It was fun while it lasted but the divisional playoff game was Tim Tebow vs. a professional NFL quarterback. Nuff said.