This rounds out the examination of the new breed of Super Bowl champs.
The R-E-S-P-E-C-T card has seemingly been played by every Super Bowl winner of late. Each of the past seven champs seemingly has carried extra motivation – Super-sized shoulder-pad chips if you will.
Of the seven, four – the ’05 and ’08 Steelers, the ’06 Colts and the 2010 Pack – carried the 12-month sting of suffering a playoff ouster as a higher seed or favored team the prior season.
Meanwhile, the other three – the ’09 Saints and both Giants squads – kicked off their Super Bowls as underdogs after overcoming similar odds throughout the playoffs as well.
That extra motivation seemingly has served to provide that added incentive– that needed push – to get these teams over the top.
Hey, whatever works.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
What weaknesses?
Continuing an examination of the new breed of Super Bowl champs ...
The 2006 Colts finished the regular season with the league’s lowest-ranked rush defense with a whopping 173 ground yards allowed per game. They also entered the playoffs with seemingly little shot at a ring.
But bolstered by the timely return of Pro Bowl strong safety Bob Sanders, the Colts limited their four postseason foes to 82.8 rushing yards per game – less than half their regular-season average – en route to the postgame podium in Miami.
A year later, the wild-card Giants entered the playoffs with a minus-9 turnover ratio, thanks to 34 giveaways. However, in four postseason games, the Giants flipped the script, turning the ball over only two times and finishing a plus-5.
In 2009, the Saints penned a similar reversal-of-fortune story. New Orleans finished the regular season with the NFC top seed but also with the league’s 26th-ranked pass defense.
In the playoffs, however, all Sean Payton’s crew did was outduel a trio of Hall of Fame-worthy QBs in Kurt Warner, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning to win Super Bowl XLIV.
Turnaround tales such as these used to be rare, but they now seem to be happening with surreal regularity.
The 2006 Colts finished the regular season with the league’s lowest-ranked rush defense with a whopping 173 ground yards allowed per game. They also entered the playoffs with seemingly little shot at a ring.
But bolstered by the timely return of Pro Bowl strong safety Bob Sanders, the Colts limited their four postseason foes to 82.8 rushing yards per game – less than half their regular-season average – en route to the postgame podium in Miami.
A year later, the wild-card Giants entered the playoffs with a minus-9 turnover ratio, thanks to 34 giveaways. However, in four postseason games, the Giants flipped the script, turning the ball over only two times and finishing a plus-5.
In 2009, the Saints penned a similar reversal-of-fortune story. New Orleans finished the regular season with the NFC top seed but also with the league’s 26th-ranked pass defense.
In the playoffs, however, all Sean Payton’s crew did was outduel a trio of Hall of Fame-worthy QBs in Kurt Warner, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning to win Super Bowl XLIV.
Turnaround tales such as these used to be rare, but they now seem to be happening with surreal regularity.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Road warriors
Continuing an examination of the new breed of Super Bowl champs ...
Much like a clock-eating running game, owning home field advantage used to be a prerequisite for a Super Bowl champion.
Times have most definitely changed.
Three of the past seven champs – the ’05 Steelers, ’07 Giants and ’10 Packers – reached the Super Bowl itself without the benefit of a single playoff home game, all going 3-0 on the road. Almost as impressive, this past season’s Giants posted two of their three playoff wins outside of New Jersey.
In all, the past seven Super squads have posted 12 postseason wins on enemy turf – a figure matching the total of the previous 24 Big Game winners combined.
That’s putting in some real road work.
Much like a clock-eating running game, owning home field advantage used to be a prerequisite for a Super Bowl champion.
Times have most definitely changed.
Three of the past seven champs – the ’05 Steelers, ’07 Giants and ’10 Packers – reached the Super Bowl itself without the benefit of a single playoff home game, all going 3-0 on the road. Almost as impressive, this past season’s Giants posted two of their three playoff wins outside of New Jersey.
In all, the past seven Super squads have posted 12 postseason wins on enemy turf – a figure matching the total of the previous 24 Big Game winners combined.
That’s putting in some real road work.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Not in a rush
The 2011 and ’07 Giants, the 2010 Packers, the ’05 and ’08 Steelers, the ’09 Saints and the ’06 Colts . . . these aren’t your father’s Super Bowl champions.
These aren’t even the Super Bowl champs of your slightly-older uncle Bobby – you know, that uncle no one much talks about at the family reunions, the one who dances around on the weekends down at the intersection, holding that sign for the house-painting company.
Anyway, these most recent Lombardi Trophy hoisters are different from the champs of seasons gone by. Let us examine the ways . . .
They’re not grounded
These aren’t even the Super Bowl champs of your slightly-older uncle Bobby – you know, that uncle no one much talks about at the family reunions, the one who dances around on the weekends down at the intersection, holding that sign for the house-painting company.
Anyway, these most recent Lombardi Trophy hoisters are different from the champs of seasons gone by. Let us examine the ways . . .
They’re not grounded
Remember the legs of Larry Csonka, Franco Harris, Marcus Allen and John Riggins serving as the foundations of the Super squads of yesteryear?
Yesteryear is the key word here; it's simply not how the Roman Numeral Games are won anymore.
The last running back to rush off with Super Bowl MVP honors – the Broncos’ Terrell Davis in ’98 – has been retired for a decade now. Reaching the top via a punishing ground game disappeared from NFL game plans not long after.
Here’s a stat for you: Half of the past six Super Bowl champs – the ’11 Giants, the ’10 Packers and the ’06 Colts – actually were outrushed during the regular season. That’s as many times as it occurred among the first 40 Super winners.
This past season’s champion Giants drove that point home, finishing dead-last in the league during the regular season with an average of 89.2 rushing yards per game.
Yesteryear is the key word here; it's simply not how the Roman Numeral Games are won anymore.
The last running back to rush off with Super Bowl MVP honors – the Broncos’ Terrell Davis in ’98 – has been retired for a decade now. Reaching the top via a punishing ground game disappeared from NFL game plans not long after.
Here’s a stat for you: Half of the past six Super Bowl champs – the ’11 Giants, the ’10 Packers and the ’06 Colts – actually were outrushed during the regular season. That’s as many times as it occurred among the first 40 Super winners.
This past season’s champion Giants drove that point home, finishing dead-last in the league during the regular season with an average of 89.2 rushing yards per game.
Friday, April 20, 2012
New breed of champs
The 2011 and ’07 Giants, the 2010 Packers, the ’05 and ’08 Steelers, the ’09 Saints and the ’06 Colts . . . these aren’t your father’s Super Bowl champions.
These aren’t even the Super Bowl champs of your slightly-older uncle Bobby – you know, that uncle no one much talks about at the family reunions, the one who dances around on the weekends down at the intersection, holding that sign for the house-painting company.
Anyway, these most recent Lombardi Trophy hoisters are different from the champs of seasons gone by. Let us examine the ways . . .
They come out of nowhere
None of the past seven Super Bowl winners owned the best record in their respective seasons. Some, such as the 9-7 Giants of this past season or the 10-6 Packers of the previous year weren’t even close, barely squeezing into the playoffs.
In fact, only two of the past 15 Super Bowl champs have carried the league’s top won-loss percentage into the postseason. Contrast this with the 13 previous seasons, in which the team with the best regular-season mark went on to dance beneath the confetti eight times.
Also consider that four of the past seven NFL champs – the ’05 Steelers, the ’06 Colts, the ’10 Packers and the ’11 Giants – actually posted better records the previous season, causing more than a few to overlook these eventual ring bearers.
These aren’t even the Super Bowl champs of your slightly-older uncle Bobby – you know, that uncle no one much talks about at the family reunions, the one who dances around on the weekends down at the intersection, holding that sign for the house-painting company.
Anyway, these most recent Lombardi Trophy hoisters are different from the champs of seasons gone by. Let us examine the ways . . .
They come out of nowhere
None of the past seven Super Bowl winners owned the best record in their respective seasons. Some, such as the 9-7 Giants of this past season or the 10-6 Packers of the previous year weren’t even close, barely squeezing into the playoffs.
In fact, only two of the past 15 Super Bowl champs have carried the league’s top won-loss percentage into the postseason. Contrast this with the 13 previous seasons, in which the team with the best regular-season mark went on to dance beneath the confetti eight times.
Also consider that four of the past seven NFL champs – the ’05 Steelers, the ’06 Colts, the ’10 Packers and the ’11 Giants – actually posted better records the previous season, causing more than a few to overlook these eventual ring bearers.
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