Can Miami resurrect Super Bowl hopes?
The Miami Dolphins hammered the Detroit Lions 27-10 on Thanksgiving to win their fourth consecutive game. A preseason pick by many to go to the Super Bowl, the Dolphins started horribly, posting a 1-6 mark before their current winning streak. But Miami apparently turned its season around when it upset the previously unbeaten Chicago Bears on Nov. 5.
One key for Miami has been the play of quarterback Joey Harrington who took over for Daunte Culpepper on Oct. 8 against New England. Harrington was the lesser of Miami’s two offseason quarterback acquisitions. Culpepper was expected to lead the Dolphins into the playoffs. But coming off knee surgery, the formerly-mobile Culpepper was sacked 21 times in four games and was finally set down with a bruised shoulder.
Harrington, a former Detroit Lion, lost his first three starts. But he’s turned things around and on Thursday, against his former team, he completed 19 of 29 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns against one interception.
In four Thanksgiving Day starts for the Lions, Harrington had gone 1-3 with no touchdown passes.
Miami is likely out of the race for the AFC East Division championship - the Dolphins are 5-6, 2 1/2 games behind New England. But they are just 1/2 game out of the final wild card spot. If Miami can keep winning, it will have a chance to justify those preseason Super Bowl predictions.
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Super Bowl dreams in the NFC
Say it with me:
Da Bears! Da Bears! Da Bears!
The Chicago Bears appear to be for real and are officially a favorite to make the Super Bowl. They are clearly the class of the NFC after handling the New York Giants on the road on Sunday, 38-20.
Heck, the Bears have now dropped to 5-2 to win the Super Bowl, ahead of the 3-1 Indianapolis Colts.
(Note to non-gamblers - the Bears are favored ahead of the Colts because there are more good teams in the AFC, making it less likely Indianapolis will make the Super Bowl. If the Colts play the Bears, Indy will be a solid favorite)
Say it again:
Da Bears! Da Bears! Da Bears!
Chicago now has a two-game lead on the field in the NFC and wins over two of the three 6-3 teams - the Giants and the Seattle Seahawks. Chicago will have home field advantage in the NFC playoffs and this Bears team looks like it’s the best since the 1985 team that went 15-1 and won Super Bowl XX.
However, Chicago does have flaws, specifically an offense that turns the ball over in bunches. Those turnovers have been offset for the most part by a terrific defense and phenomenal special teams. Those special teams got a 108-yard touchdown return on a missed field goal by Devin Hester.
It’s looking like its time for Chicago to start doing the Super Bowl Shuffle again.
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Are the Broncos Super Bowl worthy?
We are live at the Oakland Coliseum today to find out if the Denver Broncos have what it takes to make it to this year’s Super Bowl. The 6-2 Broncos are taking on the 2-6 Raiders. If Denver is to make it to Miami for the Super Bowl, it needs to show it can dominate an inferior Raiders team.
12:48 p.m. PST Mickey Thomas sings the national anthem. That’s Mickey Thomas of Starship. Yes, he’s still alive. You know, he built this city on rock and roll.
Did you know the Broncos have been to six Super Bowls? That’s tied for second-most Super Bowl history with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Dallas Cowboys have been to eight Super Bowls.
1:23 p.m. Lamont Jordan scores on a 1-yard run after Jake Plummer throws an interception deep in Broncos territory. Oakland leads 7-0 and Denver’s Super Bowl prospects look to be in doubt.
We’re in a television timeout right now. But we aren’t stuck looking at television commercials. The NFL cheerleader blog is written by cheerleaders for cheerleaders.
1:43 p.m. Jake Plummer connects with Javon Walker on a 39-yard touchdown to tie the game. Walker beats Nnamdi Asomugha and jukes Stuart Schweigert on his way to the score. Now that’s a Super Bowl worthy play.
2:06 p.m. Sebastian Jankowski ties his own Raider record with a 55-yard field goal and a 10-7 lead. The alleged sellout crowd (at least 10,000 seem to be dressed as green plastic seats) celebrates.
2:24 p.m. Janikowski hits a short field goal to make it 13-7. Denver’s offense has just 82 yards to this point. If the Broncos want to make it to the Super Bowl, they’re going to have to move the ball better than this.
The halftime show consists of the Raiderettes performing with junior Raiderettes - youth cheerleaders from the area. Unfortunately, Mickey Thomas doesn’t come out to sing, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”
3:01 p.m. A cell phone promotion involves someone on the field dressed as a cell phone. Back in the day, Raider fans would have assaulted the phone. Instead, a fan in the front row good-naturedly pats the phone. Oakland fans have clearly gone soft.
3:07 p.m. Fabian Washington intercepts a Plummer pass, the Raiders’ third interception of the game. Even if the Broncos do make it to the Super Bowl, fans will be calling for Jay Cutler to replace Plummer.
3:32 p.m. Denver coach Mike Shanahan eschews the sure field goal and goes for it on fourth-and-goal at the Raiders 1. Proving he’s a genius, Shanahan calls a pass out of a power formation and Plummer hits Kyle Johnson for the touchdown and a 14-13 lead with 11:06 to go in the game.
3:55 p.m. Oakland takes over on its own 17 with 4:03 remaining. If Denver’s defense is Super Bowl-calber, it needs to hold the Raiders.
3:57 p.m. On Oakland’s first play, Kenard Lang sacks Raider quarterback Andrew Walter, forcing a fumble. John Engelberger recovers for the Broncos. Denver’s defense is, indeed, Super Bowl-caliber.
4:05 p.m. Or, it just Oakland’s offense? After the Raiders hold Denver to a field goal, on first down following the kickoff, Walter fumbles the snap and Elvis Dumervil falls on it for the Broncos. Denver runs out the clock for a 17-13 win.
So, are the Broncos Super Bowl material? It sure didn’t look like it on Sunday. However, Denver improved to 7-2 on the season and is in contention for a first round bye in the AFC playoffs.
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Indianapolis takes inside track to Super Bowl
The Indianapolis Colts grabbed the inside track to the Super Bowl on Sunday with their 27-20 win over the New England Patriots.
The win was huge for the obvious reason – Indianapolis is now 8-0 with wins over both New England and Denver, who are both 6-2. That’s effectively a three-game lead over the expected competition for home field advantage in the AFC playoffs. Baltimore is also 6-2 but doesn’t play the Colts in the reguar season.
And, of course, it came on the road against a team that until recently was considered a nemesis for Indy. The Patriots had won six consecutive games against the Colts including two playoff meetings before losing last year on Monday Night Football.
Talk now is whether the Colts can go undefeated but Indianapolis fans know the only goal is the Super Bowl. The Cots have lost in the AFC playoffs in each of coach Tony Dungy’s first four seasons.
Last year was perhaps the most shocking. Indianapolis opened 13-0 and seemed a shoe-in for the Super Bowl. But the Colts lost to San Diego and Seattle in consecutive weeks. Fans pointed out that neither game was a must-win for Indy because it had already clinched home field advantage. But the losses pointed out that the Colts were far from perfect and they fell to Pittsburgh in the AFC Divisional round.
Will things be different this year? The Colts are still far from perfect. They replaced Edgerrin James at running back with rookie Joseph Addai with seemingly little drop-off. But their run defense has been weak all year. After Sunday’s game, many were wondering why New England coach Bill Belichick didn’t try to run more.
The bottom line – Indianapolis fans can’t punch their Super Bowl tickets yet. But they can order their playoff tickets.
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