Only a few days remain until Super Bowl XLIX. Two teams remain. There is only one game. And for the only time in the season, fantasy football is such a small piece of the puzzle. Some of you might be in a playoff-specific fantasy formatted competition, but for the most part, we put away our fantasy football spreadsheets and either won the big prize or started scheming for next year’s revenge. For now, watch for the Seahawks and Patriots momentum that they may bring into the 2015 season, watch for bragging rights if you picked the right team or prop bets, and watch for fun.
Russell Wilson Redemption
Russell Wilson had one of the worst games of his career in the NFC Championship game two weeks ago against the Green Bay Packers… until he rocked it out at the end of the game. Wilson is one of, if not the best read-option quarterback in the league. If he was a Running Back, he would have tied with C.J. Anderson for the 16th most rushing yards this season (849) and tied with five other backs for 17th in rushing touchdowns (6). He would have been a top-20 fantasy option. That is insane. And he somehow never gets hit. Containing Russell Wilson will be key for a New England victory, but that’s easier said than done. Not only can Wilson get yards with his feet, he is also the most accurate on-the-move passer in the NFL. New England is a man-based defense and not their best against mobile Quarterbacks. They’ll try to set the edge and keep Wilson in the pocket with Defensive Ends Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich, but they’ll have to employ a “spy” as well, making their man-coverage tougher to execute.
Tom Brady plays his best when he feels disrespected
Do you remember when the Patriots were blown out by the Kansas City Chiefs in Week on Monday Night Football and everyone, including me, said they were finished and entering a rebuilding phase? Yeah, so do they. You best believe the team has played with a fire in the belly ever since then, a true desire to prove everyone wrong. Especially Tom Brady. He was a late-round draft pick who admits freely to using any perceived slight as motivation. Therefore this “deflategate distraction” and could bring a mega-motivated Tom Brady to the scene. Both Romo and Rodgers were/are MVP candidates that were taken down by the Seahawks on their way to the Super Bowl, Brady is a different cat. While the Bills embarrassed a slew of future Hall of Fame QBs (Manning, Rodgers, etc.) Brady played well against them. He completed 27 of his 37 passing attempts for 361 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also threw for over 300 yards against the Broncos, Lions, Bengals and Colts – all top-10 defenses against the pass.
How many times will they reference “Deflategate” in the broadcast?
After the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots underwent an investigation that determined 11 of the 12 game balls were inflated two pounds less than they should have been. We’re not going to get into whether or not this was an exaggerated media stunt, or a serious violation of the rules that needs to be better regulated, especially since Quarterbacks are playing older and a deflated ball could help a couple of these guys out (you know Manning is eyeing the option as we speak), but right now the over/under on the mentions of “deflategate” in the telecast is surprisingly set at a low 2.5 by the sports betting site MTS. I would go over. Way over. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they had a whole expose on the issue. Shameless.
“I’m just here so I won’t get fined.”
He doesn’t like talking to the media, to put it mildly, but Marshawn Lynch is a fantasy football megastar. Look for him to keep those legs moving, high stepping, like he did all season. In fact, Seattle Wide Receiver Doug Baldwin said, “Our goal [is to] make Marshawn Lynch MVP of the Super Bowl. If we do that, obviously we’re going to win.” I agree.
Commercials
Every year some dog/horse friendship, gross GoDaddy stunt or CareerBuilder heinous working condition becomes the cooler conversation on Monday. You’ll want to laugh or offer criticism with the rest of them, so make sure to eye on the tv. But this year, on a more serious note, you should specifically, keep an eye out for the domestic violence PSA that the NFL plans to air during the telecast. Listen, we can talk all day about how the NFL’s “concern” is a day late and a dollar short, to say the least. The decision to air something like this comes after a season of criticism for the way the league handled/didn’t handle the Ray Rice punishment after he was caught on tape assaulting his then-fiancée Janay Palmer Rice. BUT, we do want to support raising awareness whenever possible.
Katy Perry’s Halftime Show
Yeah, I kept the commercials and the halftime show for the last two things to watch because I’m a woman and I know that the stereotype is that women ONLY watch the Super Bowl for the commercials and halftime show. But that’s a bunch of garbage. I love the game of football. I can love football, understand and enjoy the game while also enjoying commercials and Katy Perry… LIKE THE MEN! I’m sick of apologizing for avoiding topics because I don’t want to look like a “girl.” I am a girl. And I want Katy Perry to do an awesome show. My sisters and I are women who support women. End stop. That sounds mushy, but it’s not. I know that being a woman with even the smallest microscope focused on you and your actions can be overwhelming and the media pits us against one and other. Loving entertainment is not a gender specific joy. I thought Bruno Mars was much better than expected last year. And Beyoncé… well, she’s a fierce woman and rocked the Super Bowl two years ago to the point that she blew out the lights, literally. Here’s to keeping an extra generator on hand…
