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| Who is America's Team? Is Brady competing for that title too? |
Had the Broncos made it into the playoffs this year, I'm certain no one was interested in trying to take them out, especially Tom Brady who couldn't do it last season with Rob Gronkowski in the fold, so I doubt that he would have unseated the reigning champions of the NFL without Gronkowski. Of course, those comments are driven by my desire to at least lightly cook the crow I've had to eat from those Cowboys and Raiders fans who weren't too happy with the results of last season and tried to use this season's shortfall as a means of getting back at proud Broncos fans like me. Sadly, they both may have joined New England in the role of capable rivals to Denver, the NFL's reigning champs for at least a few more hours.
In the end, my feud with fans of Oakland and Dallas was fulfilled when they ended up playing exactly one more game than we did, quickly joining us at the fishing hole just as I predicted. Admittedly, I had as much chance of being right about the very capable Cowboys as they did about us when they swore we couldn't win Superbowl 50.
The injury to starting quarterback Derrick Carr prior to the end of the season virtually set the Raiders fate in stone. For Dallas, however, the obstacle was that flaming hot Aaron Rodgers who'll probably be named this season's MVP and the reason why so many expect Atlanta to beat Brady too, considering how they thoroughly dismantled Rodgers and his Green Bay Packers team.
It's not as if Dallas didn't put up a championship fight against Rodgers, and it's not as if I'm discounting either of Denver's revived rivals- our division rival or that team who hates us for the audacity to be loved by America too. The future is bright for both Dallas and the Raiders, regardless of what city the latter ends up representing next year. In fact, their futures are so bright that any continued success in Denver bodes well for the NFL and a return of ready-made rivalries between two of Denver's more hated NFL opponents. If Brady finally gets old, these talented teams should replace him nicely.
Smart NFL fans recognized immediately that Denver and Dallas would undoubtedly meet up in the regular season next year, and somehow, New England would mysteriously remain on the schedule just as they do every year. The Raiders are a "two games per year' division foe that will get better, but never will they clamor to be called America's team while enjoying their image as the NFL rebels. Every other team in consideration for the title of America's team represent teams that we love or teams that we seriously love to hate.
If we're to be perfectly honest, New England is America's team because an equal measure of love and hate is what determines these things, and the Cowboys have underachieved for a bit too long to be hated much anymore. We mostly can't stand their loud mouthed fans. The Broncos might be a few Tom Brady trophies away from being even more beloved and thus hated more, although last years somewhat fortunate Superbowl victory is probably why Dallas fans and fans of other legendary teams started driving the Denver hate wagon. But it's cool so long as there remain competitive reasons for these teams to continue to rival one another.
Reasons such as Dallas experiencing a lasting resurgence while Denver rides the talent of that defense to the limit of its championship potential. Or reasons such as Denver loading up on coaches like a team preparing for another run. Or how about reasons like Pat Bowlen being clearly alive and kicking and not dead and gone. Under the leadership of Bowlen, the Broncos have always been willing to do whatever it takes to win including a consideration of every capable quarterback including Romo- who would be another pretty good reason for building a rivalry between Dallas and Denver
Despite the playoff miss, Denver remains center stage in the lead up to the Superbowl because they continue to do what Bowlen has done for many years at the helm of the Broncos- spend the money and take care of people. Ironically, Jerry Jones and Pat Bowlen were recently engaged in a fan-created Hall of Fame war because these great owners are known to put their money where their mouth is. Alzheimer's may have silenced Bowlen's voice, but his championship spirit is alive and evident.
Tony Romo leaving Dallas is not really much of a story at all because it's essentially a foregone conclusion. Rumors of Tony Romo to a championship organization like Denver is as intriguing now as it was when the whispers of it began months ago. It's in tune with the talent of the current team and with the decision to let Manning lead Denver to the last title. Nothing about this team says scrap it and take the chance on grooming a youngster. Everything says Romo could probably achieve what Siemian or Lynch most likely cannot.Our apologies to the last teams standing, but for whatever reason, the exploits of Denver (and Dallas now that they are winning again) dominate the NFL media coverage. If Bowlen was expected to die soon and not just stricken with an illness that has removed him from the public sphere, maybe the league would have considered selecting him to the HOF in front of Jerry Jones. The fact that these owners have been inducted in the proper order that they deserve to go in could be a sign that Bowlen isn't nearly as close to gone as we think even though he's mostly forgotten. These men and their championship teams will continue to mirror each other in certain ways because greatness has a familiar face to it.
It wasn't just Dak Prescott and Paxton Lynch that each of these teams coveted. Take note of all the other players that each team has chased or shared, and then realize that Mark "butt fumble" Sanchez would have probably won that extra game Denver needed to make the playoffs this year. If there was any case to be made for the necessity of Sanchez this season, there is certainly one to be made for Tony Romo with Denver next year.
The signs are clear that Bowlen's Broncos are upset with this season's result and are girding up for another title. Elway and Kubiak rolled the dice on the health and skill of Siemian- and the hopeful progression of his backup- and they came up with craps, albeit by one game. Yet, that one game remains the obvious reason why a better backup would have helped.
This defense and this team believe in Seimian, but it deserves the best quarterback available as a more durable starter or as a capable backup to deal with the high probability of a slow-footed Siemian, and glass jaw Romo getting injured in the NFL. I'm not saying that it's time to scrap the Paxton Lynch plan or demote Siemian without merit. I'm saying Lynch is not good enough to put the heat on Siemian yet, and every position needs pressure from the backup. Competition at every position is how great teams stay great and overcome injuries in a sport that promises them. Romo may not remain healthy enough to be the starter, but if acquired by Denver, he too would have a quarterback capable of forcing him to play at his best in Siemian.
While the dream of a Denver versus Dallas Superbowl with Romo behind center is enticing for sure, the financials of a Romo deal are the main reason why it might not happen. But Romo has expressed an interest in Denver, and for every financial hurdle or legend named Brady, the Broncos have had one simplified answer.
Pat Bowlen.
In his tenure as owner of the Broncos (Pat's not dead), removing hurdles has been his forte. As long as he remains alive, Elway understands that he had better do his very best Bowlen impersonation. So far, he's doing pretty good.
Tom Brady is on the verge of solidifying his NFL legacy in which, win or lose, he will go down as one of the best to ever lace them up. During his reign of excellence, Brady has often faced off with Denver, but Bowlen's Broncos remain the only team in the entire league that Brady has a losing record against, including an AFC championship game loss last season. As pundits look back on this season, they see Denver's D was likely the only thing that could have derailed Brady and the Patriots.
Atlanta's abuse of MVP worthy Rodgers has loads of people leaning towards the Falcons in this game, but most of those people are Brady haters like me and wouldn't pick Brady even if he had this year's Cleveland Browns as an alternate Superbowl opponent. Like it or not, Brady is the cream of the NFL crop, and Denver, Dallas, and every other history-rich team needs Brady to quit playing at such a high level so we can all come out from the shadows he casts.
I'm excited about the Superbowl even though it means the end of my team's reign as champion and a pretty good chance that Brady could solidify his place on NFL's Mount Rushmore. The tears in Denver's "No-Repeat" beer were shed on the last day of the season. Besides, my Broncos killed the Raiders in that game, so those tears tasted kinda salty sweet anyway.
When it comes to forecasting this game, Brady has to hurry up and win because, as long as his nemesis Pat Bowlen is still alive, so are the championship intentions that he inspires. That HOF owner, Jerry Jones, seems intent on shining up his star too, so the biggest risk to the Atlanta Falcons is not only Brady, it is his dwindling time and his recognizing the rise of other legendary organizations with serious championship motivations.
Ironically, Atlanta's offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan- son of legendary Broncos coach Mike Shanahan- has brought glimpses of the Broncos way all the way to Atlanta and is threatening to unleash piles of it all over Brady and the Patriots. Will Shanahan and the Broncos influence prove to be Brady's kryptonite or will Superman finally find an antidote solidifying New England's grip on the title of America's team? That question is the reason we all will watch tomorrow.
Lady Gaga and the commercials should be pretty good, just in case the game is not.
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