Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Written by: James Burulcich
Edited by: Allie Fontana

Could we have asked for a better pair of Conference Championship games than what the NFL gave us last Sunday? For better or worse, both games were won on the leg of a kicker. While I think that the two teams that will face off in Super Bowl XLVI on February 5 were outplayed by their competitors in the Conference Championship games, that’s the way it goes sometimes.  In any case, here’s what I learned on Sunday:

 

1.  Dream On Steven.

There were a lot of tragedies during Sunday’s football games, but were any worse than Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler’s rendition of the National Anthem? I hear a lot of people saying that when you have Tyler perform that song you’re going to get what we got. Really? Aerosmith is still a touring band and I bet Tyler doesn’t sound this bad at his own shows or who would buy tickets? He basically talked his way through most of the song and then when he tried to hit his classic screechy high note on “the land of the free…” he sounded like a pubescent child. While I love Aerosmith, watch American Idol and think it’s better because of him, sheesh.

2.  Who’s Who?

Was it just me or did the AFC Championship teams reverse roles on Sunday? If you would have told me that the winning team would have no passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns, and play really tough defense despite the other team’s quarterback playing one of his best games, then I would have thought the Baltimore Ravens won the game. On a day where Tom Brady was more Joe Flacco and vice versa, the New England Patriots still got the job done. I feel bad for Flacco because even on one of his best days, he couldn’t beat Brady on one of the New England signal caller’s worst.

3.  Ray Finkle…

Poor Billy Cundiff. I can’t imagine what is going through his head and how bad this will affect the rest of his life. Like so many other players that cost their teams a big win, Billy may have to join a therapy group with former Bills kicker Scott Norwood, Red Sox catcher Bill Buckner and Michigan forward Chris Webber. While it’s also true that wide receiver Lee Evans could be blamed for the Ravens loss after failingly to secure a sure-fire touchdown catch in the end zone only one play earlier, he got a reprieve of sorts by the field goal opportunity. I wonder if Cundiff will have a job with the Ravens next season. “Laces out!”: http://www.totalprosports.com/2012/01/23/billy-cundiff-is-a-modern-day-ray-finkle-parody-video/.

4.  Fried Rice.

I think one of the main reasons why the Baltimore Ravens didn’t advance to the Super Bowl was that Ray Rice was largely neutralized by the New England Patriots. While the Patriots have one of the worst defenses in the league, Rice could only muster 67 rushing yards on 21 carries and even worse, just one catch for 11 yards. The Ravens needed Rice to be factor in this game and he wasn’t.  Rice is far too good and should have been featured much more in Baltimore’s offensive game plan. Too many times this season offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has put more trust in Flacco than Rice, and they usually lost those games.

5.  bELIeve!

It’s truly time to put the “Eli Manning—Elite or Not?” debate to rest. While I’m a Giants fan, I’m also a realist and Sunday was perhaps the best performance of his career. The San Francisco 49ers have the best defense that the NFL has seen in quite a few years and they proved that on Sunday. In the end, Manning proved to be too tough for them. He threw the ball 58 times and got hit 20 times including six sacks. Manning never lost his composure. Even with the crowd against him, he completed key third downs throughout the game and didn’t turn the ball over once. In less than two weeks Manning will face the New England Patriots—a team with virtually no defense or pass rush. I love the possibilities.

6.  Oh Kyle.

Billy Cundiff doesn’t have to join that therapy session alone. San Francisco 49ers second year player Kyle Williams had one of the most embarrassing days that an NFL player could have. One most could only imagine in the worst of nightmares. Not one but two fumbled punt returns that no doubt cost his team a trip to the Super Bowl. Although I personally loved the outcome, the 49ers should have won the game 17-10 if not for those crucial mistakes. Add to this the world of twitter in which Kyle Williams immediately received hundreds of death threats and this poor guy may never be the same.

7.  3rd-and-Once.

Although I thought the San Francisco 49ers essentially outplayed the New York Giants on Sunday, the real reason why they lost was their inefficiency on third downs. The Niners had 13 third-down conversion attempts and completed just one. Alex Smith’s performance clearly improved by leaps and bounds this season and his stock soared after his clutch performance in the NFC Divisional Round win over the Saints, however he looked like the old Alex Smith this past Sunday.  While I know that Jim Harbaugh likes him, he’s a free agent in 2012 and Peyton Manning will more than likely be one too. I’m just saying.

8.  Cruzin! 

Living in New York, the media is relentless when it comes to judging local sports teams. Before this season began, New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese took tremendous heat when he failed to re-sign tight end Kevin Boss and wide receiver Steve Smith. Anyone miss them now? Reese knew the type of player that he had in Victor Cruz and Eli Manning helped realize that potential. Cruz has been a monster during the regular season and he continued his dominance last Sunday. Not only did he have 10 catches for 142 yards, he was an absolute nightmare for the 49ers on third downs. He’s “out-Wes Welkering” Wes Welker right now. I expect Cruz to be a key part of the Giants game plan to beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. 

9.  Gronk Won’t Miss the Super Bowl.

I was shocked that New England Patriots stud tight end Rob Gronkowski was able to return to Sunday’s game after the brutal way he rolled his ankle. Early reports indicate that he’ll be ready to play in the Super Bowl. New York Giants fans hope that he’s not as healthy as the Patriots would like everyone to believe. Personally, I’m not sold on the fact that he’ll be 100 percent, however he’s a tough player and very likely to cause the Giants fits come Super Bowl Sunday. 

10.  Super Bowl XLVI Prediction.

Again, I’m a New York Giants homer so I’ll begin by stating that I pick them to win the Super Bowl. Unlike 2007, I have confidence in my pick. I was in utter shock to see that the initial Vegas line for this game was New England by 3.5 points. When I look at both teams,  I feel that the Giants are the better team in many more facets of the game than the Patriots.  The Giants are better defensively all around, they have a superior running game and more talented wide receivers. While I disagree with the odds makers, I love that the Giants are once again considered the underdog. Why? The team seems to relish that role. As long as Eli Manning has time to throw, I’m confident that the Giants offense will score much more easily against the Patriots than the recent game with the 49ers. Concurrently, I feel that New England’s offensive line will have a hard time handling the Giants pass rush. I expect Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka and Chris Canty to set the tone of this game. And for the second time in five years, the Giants will come out on top. Once Eli Manning defeats Tom Brady for a second time in the Super Bowl, we will not have a discussion about his status as an elite quarterback. Instead, we’ll talk about whether or not he’s a first ball Hall of Famer. Go Big Blue. #ALLIN