Player of the Week: Von Miller (OLB - DEN)
Von Miller was drafted as a ready-made star. He was a physical freak. He showed that in his first two seasons, picking up Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011, and then 18 sacks in 2012. He then got caught in a weird drug-testing thing and tore his ACL in 2013, and while he's had 10-12 sacks in 2014-15, he's almost become a forgotten star. Well... not so anymore. That was one of the most dominant performances I've seen by a defensive player in a playoff game in a long time. He had two sacks, numerous hurries and hits, and added an interception for good measure. Von Miller just abused Marcus Cannon and Sebastian Vollmer repeatedly. That's the type of game that the Broncos imagined when drafting him at #2 overall in 2011.
Runner-Up: Cam Newton (QB, CAR)
The guy who was drafted right before Von Miller is pretty darn good as well. Cam Newton was amazing save for the one bad throw that was picked. He controlled that game from the pocket as much as on the move. Anytime you get two rushing and two passing TDs in the same game it is a special performance. Cam Newton has really grown into a tremendous player. More on him and the Panthers overall coming up.
Goat of the Week: The Cardinals Team
I'm going to rehash this too many times, but I was so disappointed in the Cardinals ruining what on paper was supposed to be a great NFC Championship Game. The headline was Palmer's awful day, but how about the other Cardinals stars not showing up. Larry Fitzgerald with the drops, Calais Campbell being invisible and Patrick Peterson having a nightmare game. The Cardinals were a mess from beginning to end, and they literally fumbled and threw away any opportunity that they had. The Cardinals were at worst the 2nd best team in the NFL through the regular season, but all that swagger that they played with was just so gallingly missing in this game.
Runner-Up: Bill Belichick and the Patriots Coaching Staff
The Patriots are always well coached and well prepared. Even in their playoff losses they generally seem to know what they're doing. This game was just not like that at all - starting with the Patriots choosing to receive after winning the toss which was immediately translated into a punt and Broncos TD. The Patriots offensive gameplan was a disaster, rarely ever giving Brady help and consistently leaving their tackles on their own against Ware and Miller. Then there's the odd 4th down choices. Nothing really worked well.
Surprise of the Week: The Panthers Offensive Line
The Panthers o-line was supposed to be one of their three big weaknesses entering the season, along with their secondary and their receivers. The secondary still has a few soft spots due to injury, and the receivers are still playing over their heads, but the o-line has really gelled into a strength. The read every single blitz the Cardinals threw at them. Few teams blitz as effectively as the Cardinals and the Panthers kept Newton clean the entire game, which allowed their deep routes to develop. The Panthers offensive line is facing a very different but even tougher test ahead, for which they'll need at least a repeat performance.
Runner-Up: The Broncos Special Teams
At this point I shouldn't be surprised given how good the Special Teams were against Pittsburgh as well, but the Broncos winning the Special Teams matchup against the Patriots was a surprise. They are consistently great at pinning the opposition back on punts. McManus is an automatic touchback, and hit another 50+ yard field goal. Plus, they didn't miss an XP!
Disappointment of the Week: The Cardinals Team
Honestly, it bugged me how bad they were. Obviously first because I was expecting, hoping and wanting a great game between two heretofore great teams, but more than that I really am starting to hate the reaction to Arizona's loss. Yes, Palmer had a bad game. No, he isn't lost as a QB. Let's not forget he was the best passing QB in the NFL this season. Maybe that finger injury was worse than expected. No, Bruce Arians doesn't have to change his style. No, the Cardinals aren't chokers. Play that game 10 times, the Panthers may win 7, but probably none of them end up 49-15 again. This was the worst possible outcome, and just ruined what should have been a fascinating 3 hours.
Runner-Up: Nothing
Really, I couldn't think of anything else. The Cardinals performance was that much worse than anything else.
Team Performance of the Week: The Broncos Front Four
Von Miller deservedly got the headlines with a 2.5 sack and interception game, but that whole front was just awesome. Ware had 7 hits, which is a JJ Watt like performance. Derek Wolfe, Malik Jackson and Antonio Smith were great inside. Even when Shaquill Barrett and Vance Walker came in they made plays. I can think of any three playoff games in recent memory that were close to this. The first is the obvious connection, the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. The other two were the 49ers in the 2011 NFC Championship against the Giants (6 sacks, 17 hits), and the last was the Vikings in the 2009 NFC Divisional against the Cowboys (6 sacks, 13 hits - but on just 40 dropbacks). The Broncos were better though. On that final TD drive, they basically got to Brady every single play. Brady didn't play well, but even if he was on his game, the Patriots weren't scoring 20+.
Runner-Up: The Panthers Offense
The Panthers had the quietest 500 point season I've ever seen. They led the league in scoring and were mightily consistent, basically scoring between 27-40 points every game save three, but this was another level. I already detailed both Cam and the line, but how about Greg Olsen still managing to get open, or Jerrico Cotchery making tough catches, or Corey Brown getting open, or Devin Funchess making a contested catch for a TD. The Panthers are such a damn good team,
Team Laydown of the Week: The Cardinals Defense
The Cardinals defense is good. It has been good all year. It has been good even after losing Tyrann Mathieu. I realize the Packers were missing all the WRs, but the Cardinals still held that passing game to 150 yards before the hail mary's. That defense was nowhere to be found on Sunday. They blitzed but were swallowed up by the Panthers o-line. Their normally stout man coverage was awful, letting receivers run free all over the place. They've been a top run defense for years now, but couldn't even do that well. The Cardinals defense really needs to get a true pass rusher who isn't a 35-year old Dwight Freeney, but even then there was no excuse for that performance.
Runner-Up: The Patriots Receivers (non-Gronk)
Rob Gronkowski is not human, and he was the only person keeping the Patriots in that game at all. The rest of the receiving core was just a disaster. Julian Edelman, who got so many plaudits, did nothing, barely getting 7 yards a catch. Amendola did less. LaFell and Keyshawn Martin played a combined 90 snaps, but got just one target. If James White is leading the team in tagets, you know the scrappy white guys did not do their job.
Storyline that will be Beaten Into the Ground over the next two weeks: The Last Rodeo for Manning
Obviously, the main storyline for the Super Bowl will be Peyton Manning's last ride, as it seems a fait accompli that this is his last game. He may pull a Favre and come back for another season, but this is likely it. In a way, that is a huge story, but it isn't the story. Win or lose, this game will be decided by the other Broncos. He has to be along for the ride. We can break down Manning's legacy all we want but it shouldn't be decided by this game.
Storyline that should be beaten into the ground the next two weeks: The Future vs. the Past
The Broncos are in many ways a young team, but there is a certain sense that this is the end. There won't be a Manning next year, and while Osweiler showed promise he also showed a ceiling that he needs to raise. Still, for guys like Ware (11th season), Talib (9th season), Thomas (6th season), there is a sense that they have to do this now. On the other side is a team that along with Seattle has probably the brightest future. I think people have forgotten with all the 15-1 and 500 points and Cam dabbin' that the Panthers lost their #1 WR in training camp. Win or lose, they'll be adding Kelvin Benjamin and getting cap room for the frst time in a half decade in the offseason. That is terrifying for the rest of the league. Manning better win now, not only because he's old, because this may be his only shot. The Panthers may be making the first of a few trips here.
Storyine that needs to be beaten into the ground for at least a day or two: Not everything Belichick Does is Gold
Every Patriots fan that said it was some brilliant master plan to half-ass through Week 16-17, choke away the #1 seed in the process, because BB wanted the #2 seed to avoid Pittsburgh or the Jets, and because keeping guys healthy is more important than the #1 seed, should personally apologize to the world. No, your coach isn't a genius for throwing the last two games. Also, I like the symmetry that just like Manning being 2-7 in Foxboro in his career, Belichick is now 2-9 in Denver.
Von Miller was drafted as a ready-made star. He was a physical freak. He showed that in his first two seasons, picking up Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011, and then 18 sacks in 2012. He then got caught in a weird drug-testing thing and tore his ACL in 2013, and while he's had 10-12 sacks in 2014-15, he's almost become a forgotten star. Well... not so anymore. That was one of the most dominant performances I've seen by a defensive player in a playoff game in a long time. He had two sacks, numerous hurries and hits, and added an interception for good measure. Von Miller just abused Marcus Cannon and Sebastian Vollmer repeatedly. That's the type of game that the Broncos imagined when drafting him at #2 overall in 2011.
Runner-Up: Cam Newton (QB, CAR)
The guy who was drafted right before Von Miller is pretty darn good as well. Cam Newton was amazing save for the one bad throw that was picked. He controlled that game from the pocket as much as on the move. Anytime you get two rushing and two passing TDs in the same game it is a special performance. Cam Newton has really grown into a tremendous player. More on him and the Panthers overall coming up.
Goat of the Week: The Cardinals Team
I'm going to rehash this too many times, but I was so disappointed in the Cardinals ruining what on paper was supposed to be a great NFC Championship Game. The headline was Palmer's awful day, but how about the other Cardinals stars not showing up. Larry Fitzgerald with the drops, Calais Campbell being invisible and Patrick Peterson having a nightmare game. The Cardinals were a mess from beginning to end, and they literally fumbled and threw away any opportunity that they had. The Cardinals were at worst the 2nd best team in the NFL through the regular season, but all that swagger that they played with was just so gallingly missing in this game.
Runner-Up: Bill Belichick and the Patriots Coaching Staff
The Patriots are always well coached and well prepared. Even in their playoff losses they generally seem to know what they're doing. This game was just not like that at all - starting with the Patriots choosing to receive after winning the toss which was immediately translated into a punt and Broncos TD. The Patriots offensive gameplan was a disaster, rarely ever giving Brady help and consistently leaving their tackles on their own against Ware and Miller. Then there's the odd 4th down choices. Nothing really worked well.
Surprise of the Week: The Panthers Offensive Line
The Panthers o-line was supposed to be one of their three big weaknesses entering the season, along with their secondary and their receivers. The secondary still has a few soft spots due to injury, and the receivers are still playing over their heads, but the o-line has really gelled into a strength. The read every single blitz the Cardinals threw at them. Few teams blitz as effectively as the Cardinals and the Panthers kept Newton clean the entire game, which allowed their deep routes to develop. The Panthers offensive line is facing a very different but even tougher test ahead, for which they'll need at least a repeat performance.
Runner-Up: The Broncos Special Teams
At this point I shouldn't be surprised given how good the Special Teams were against Pittsburgh as well, but the Broncos winning the Special Teams matchup against the Patriots was a surprise. They are consistently great at pinning the opposition back on punts. McManus is an automatic touchback, and hit another 50+ yard field goal. Plus, they didn't miss an XP!
Disappointment of the Week: The Cardinals Team
Honestly, it bugged me how bad they were. Obviously first because I was expecting, hoping and wanting a great game between two heretofore great teams, but more than that I really am starting to hate the reaction to Arizona's loss. Yes, Palmer had a bad game. No, he isn't lost as a QB. Let's not forget he was the best passing QB in the NFL this season. Maybe that finger injury was worse than expected. No, Bruce Arians doesn't have to change his style. No, the Cardinals aren't chokers. Play that game 10 times, the Panthers may win 7, but probably none of them end up 49-15 again. This was the worst possible outcome, and just ruined what should have been a fascinating 3 hours.
Runner-Up: Nothing
Really, I couldn't think of anything else. The Cardinals performance was that much worse than anything else.
Team Performance of the Week: The Broncos Front Four
Von Miller deservedly got the headlines with a 2.5 sack and interception game, but that whole front was just awesome. Ware had 7 hits, which is a JJ Watt like performance. Derek Wolfe, Malik Jackson and Antonio Smith were great inside. Even when Shaquill Barrett and Vance Walker came in they made plays. I can think of any three playoff games in recent memory that were close to this. The first is the obvious connection, the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. The other two were the 49ers in the 2011 NFC Championship against the Giants (6 sacks, 17 hits), and the last was the Vikings in the 2009 NFC Divisional against the Cowboys (6 sacks, 13 hits - but on just 40 dropbacks). The Broncos were better though. On that final TD drive, they basically got to Brady every single play. Brady didn't play well, but even if he was on his game, the Patriots weren't scoring 20+.
Runner-Up: The Panthers Offense
The Panthers had the quietest 500 point season I've ever seen. They led the league in scoring and were mightily consistent, basically scoring between 27-40 points every game save three, but this was another level. I already detailed both Cam and the line, but how about Greg Olsen still managing to get open, or Jerrico Cotchery making tough catches, or Corey Brown getting open, or Devin Funchess making a contested catch for a TD. The Panthers are such a damn good team,
Team Laydown of the Week: The Cardinals Defense
The Cardinals defense is good. It has been good all year. It has been good even after losing Tyrann Mathieu. I realize the Packers were missing all the WRs, but the Cardinals still held that passing game to 150 yards before the hail mary's. That defense was nowhere to be found on Sunday. They blitzed but were swallowed up by the Panthers o-line. Their normally stout man coverage was awful, letting receivers run free all over the place. They've been a top run defense for years now, but couldn't even do that well. The Cardinals defense really needs to get a true pass rusher who isn't a 35-year old Dwight Freeney, but even then there was no excuse for that performance.
Runner-Up: The Patriots Receivers (non-Gronk)
Rob Gronkowski is not human, and he was the only person keeping the Patriots in that game at all. The rest of the receiving core was just a disaster. Julian Edelman, who got so many plaudits, did nothing, barely getting 7 yards a catch. Amendola did less. LaFell and Keyshawn Martin played a combined 90 snaps, but got just one target. If James White is leading the team in tagets, you know the scrappy white guys did not do their job.
Storyline that will be Beaten Into the Ground over the next two weeks: The Last Rodeo for Manning
Obviously, the main storyline for the Super Bowl will be Peyton Manning's last ride, as it seems a fait accompli that this is his last game. He may pull a Favre and come back for another season, but this is likely it. In a way, that is a huge story, but it isn't the story. Win or lose, this game will be decided by the other Broncos. He has to be along for the ride. We can break down Manning's legacy all we want but it shouldn't be decided by this game.
Storyline that should be beaten into the ground the next two weeks: The Future vs. the Past
The Broncos are in many ways a young team, but there is a certain sense that this is the end. There won't be a Manning next year, and while Osweiler showed promise he also showed a ceiling that he needs to raise. Still, for guys like Ware (11th season), Talib (9th season), Thomas (6th season), there is a sense that they have to do this now. On the other side is a team that along with Seattle has probably the brightest future. I think people have forgotten with all the 15-1 and 500 points and Cam dabbin' that the Panthers lost their #1 WR in training camp. Win or lose, they'll be adding Kelvin Benjamin and getting cap room for the frst time in a half decade in the offseason. That is terrifying for the rest of the league. Manning better win now, not only because he's old, because this may be his only shot. The Panthers may be making the first of a few trips here.
Storyine that needs to be beaten into the ground for at least a day or two: Not everything Belichick Does is Gold
Every Patriots fan that said it was some brilliant master plan to half-ass through Week 16-17, choke away the #1 seed in the process, because BB wanted the #2 seed to avoid Pittsburgh or the Jets, and because keeping guys healthy is more important than the #1 seed, should personally apologize to the world. No, your coach isn't a genius for throwing the last two games. Also, I like the symmetry that just like Manning being 2-7 in Foxboro in his career, Belichick is now 2-9 in Denver.
