Final Word on NFL Season

I must start off by reiterating once again, that if you didn’t bet with my picks these playoffs than you suck. I nailed the Super Bowl picks, aside from the MVP pick which was a little far-fetched, though Manningham did have probably the biggest catch of the game on the Giants final drive. Plus I nearly nailed the final score if the Giants would have gotten the two point conversion, I had 23-17 but if anyone in their right mind can find me and tell me they believed the Patriots would only score 17 points I would love to hear from you. I don’t remember much from the game so I can’t really put my input on it other than I didn’t win any money and the outcome affected my life in no way, shape or form. Looking back on this 2011 NFL season as it has finally come to a close, I would like to note a few things to remember and a few things to look forward to.

First, the new rule changes have severely altered the game of football. When you have two quarterbacks in the same year break a record that hasn’t been touched in over 20 years, there is a serious problem. That just doesn’t happen. Not to take away anything from Brees or Brady but, with strict rules on roughing the passer and hits on defenseless receivers etc., today’s game can allow the quarterback to sit back and tear apart defenses through the air. Even Matthew Stafford threw for 5,000 yards this year, so the NFL needs to do something and I think I have the solution for them. I think they should allow defensive contact 10 yards downfield instead of 5. It will give corners more room to be physical with the freakish receivers in the league now that are like 6 foot 5, 250 pounds and can run a 4.4 40. I think this will level the playing field, and it will slow the game down just  a little bit, and that is what the NFL needs. They wanted the game to be fast, and saw the consequences; concussions in every game. We saw James Harrison who had been fined multiple times in the new NFL for hits to the head and hits on defenseless receivers, and he made a scary hit which ended Eric Decker’s season in the playoffs. Instead of making a solid hit up high he had to go low at Decker’s knees and Decker felt the pain.

The next thing to look back on was my boy Tim Tebow. He wasn’t even in the Super Bowl this year and he was stealing the show. Seeing pictures of him “Tebowing” with supermodels and needing the most security at the Super Bowl just shows how bright his future is. He led a 1-4 Broncos team to an 8-8 record, and to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. He has a full offseason this year to work with his wide receivers and offensive coordinator, which will make all the difference. The haters are always going to hate on him, regardless of what he accomplishes in his lifetime, so it won’t bother me anymore. If you think about it, he has done everything so far that people have said he couldn’t do. People said he couldn’t win a National Championship, he won two. People said he couldn’t win a Heisman, he won one (could have been two, screw you Sam Bradford). People said he wouldn’t sniff the first round of the NFL draft, he was drafted 23rd overall. People said he couldn’t play quarterback in the NFL, he won 8 games including a playoff game in his second season. I have faith that Tebow will put everything he has into becoming a better passer this offseason, and also in reading defenses. Those are his two biggest flaws, and he shows time and time again that he can identify his flaws and come back improved.

All in all this NFL season was a pretty good one. We saw some records broken, Jesus was talked about every Sunday which he rightfully should be, and the Brady/Belichick era seems to have hit a brick wall. I would be worried if I was a Patriots fan. Another year ending in disappointment, and Brady’s girl is ripping the receivers for dropping passes? How about she rips her husband for getting intentional grounding in the end zone. If they don’t get those two points it’s a 3 point game going down the final drive, less pressure to score and you only need to get the ball to the 35 or so. I guess once you’ve won the Super Bowl three times it’s gotta be hard to have that same intensity as the previous 3 but Belichick and Brady have lost something. Maybe it’s because the Patriots are straying away from the “Patriot way” with players like Ochocinco and Gronk. I am surprised Bill is even putting up with Gronk, and if Gronk wasn’t such a fan favorite already, he would be packing his bags right out of New England. It’s pretty embarrassing to go out raging after you just lost the biggest game of your career, and to be dancing around on an ankle that you claimed to have suffered a high ankle sprain on, which looked affected during the game but not so much on the dance floor. So I will leave you guys with an over/ under on how many of the first round draft picks the Patriots trade out of, I will set it at 1.5 and I will pick the over. Yo soy Fiesta con Eli.