Is he retiring and going out failing to reach the Super Bowl? Will Brett Farve return for the 2010 season and bring a Lombardi trophy to Minnesota? The odds favor another eventful offseason of indecision from the veteran passer and leaving a mess in the process.
Farve posted a 107 passer rating and threw for over 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns as he led the Vikings to the NFC Championship game. Over the course of the season, Farve helped revive the Vikings' passing game and elevate the numbers of the young receiving corps featuring Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, and Bernard Berrian. Going into the Divisional Round game versus the Dallas Cowboys, Farve silenced the critics and those who believed the Cowboys would end Farve's postseason run.
Going into the game, the Vikings featured a physical and high ranked defense that can plug any holes for the running game and harass the passer, disrupting an offense. Offensively, the Vikings have a young and talented receiving corps and have one of the NFL's premier backs in Adrian Peterson.
Standing in Farve's way to the Super Bowl, the New Orleans Saints bring their second ranked attack and find themselves bolstered by the "12th Man" in their homefield Superdome. The Saints bring a top tier passing attack and offer a capable defense, that has been lacking in previous seasons. The addition of Defensive Coordinator, Gregg Williams and the improvements made in the secondary factored into the Saints run to the NFC championship game. Drew Brees comes in leading a multifaceted offense that spreads the ball among many receivers and a capable rushing attack with tailbacks Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush.
The 2010 NFC Championship game featured two of the top ranked offenses in the league but the game was decided by defense and multiple turnovers. When either team seemed to be getting into an offensive rhythm the effort went in vain as both the Saints and Vikings committed turnovers. The game of numbers stayed in favor of the Saints as Adrian Peterson fumbled like a pop warner tailback playing his first game. Brett Farve contributed to the poor exchanges on handoffs and his second half interception contributed to the slight edge needed for the Saints to win. Similar to his last NFC title game appearance, Farve made poor decisions in his pass attempts. Farve had a difficult time staying on his feet as the Saints penetrated the Vikings offensive line and seemed to have injured Brett Farve on one play. Farve looked like a veteran past his prime and wore down as the Saints remained relentless in their defensive schemes.
As Brett Farve mulls over the decision to play another season or to "finally" call it quits, Drew Brees gets to enjoy South Florida and the 2010 Super Bowl game as he attempts to bring a title to a city that has seen hard times since Hurricane Katrina crashed through the football loyal,and historic city.The city has been recharged by the Saints' success and a NFL Championship would bring festivities to a city that could use the celebration. Farve and the Vikings had plenty of motivation to win, but the emotions of the Saints and their connection to the city and its fanbase provided a higher level of intensity as the game clock wore down to 0:00
Monday, January 25, 2010
1-25-10: NFL Championship Games
So the results are in and the AFC Champion is the Indianapolis Colts. In the days leading up to the big game, the media focused on Rex Ryan's remarks about being "suprised" if the Jets lost to the Colts and the hype surrounding their postseason success. The experts were in awe over the Jets aggressive defense and unstoppable rushing attack. It seemed as if everyone forgot that MVP, Peyton Manning was leading the NFL's first ranked Colts and field a defense that has played efficiently and routinely prevented the big play.
The Colts have an established offense and have been a fixture of the playoffs for most of the last decade. Peyton Manning may be the best quarterback to ever play the game and arguably the most instinctive passer that has taken the field.
As for the Jets, having a rookie quarterback competing with the MVP tilts the scales in favor of the Colts. However, despite the lack of a aerial attack, the Jets field a quality offensive line that has helped pave the way for the NFL's first ranked, rushing offense. On the defensive side, Rex Ryan features a physical, attacking approach that heavily blitzes the passer. The Jets don't have an Elvis Dumervil or Demarcus Ware rushing the passer, but with a solid linebacking corps that combines the talents of Bart Scott and David Harris on the inside, and Calvin Pace off the edge, the unit manages to create pressure and disrupt an offensive attack.
Going into the game, both teams faced off with their contrasting styles and the Colts came out as the victor. The Jets kept it close in the first half thanks to solid pressure on Manning and Mark Sanchez's two touchdown strikes to Braylon Edwards and Dustin Keller. The critics who gave the Jets a chance were looking rational for their predictions
Despite the Jets' first half success, Peyton Manning made a statement to the boisterous Jets and the critics with precision passes to young receivers, Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon. Both receivers helped push the Colts to victory. Garcon posted double digit receptions and caught a td pass while Collie did much of his damage from the slot and through the middle as Dallas Clark stayed back in pass protection throughout a large portion of the game.
In the end, the Colts won with their passing game but were able to limit the Jets rushing attack and keep rookie tailback, Shonn Greene out of commission for most of the second half. Running back, Joseph Addai ran well and despite Clark's blocking assignments and Wayne's blanket coverage, Manning found a way to lead his team to victory. It was fitting that Peyton Manning made a slight remark to the Jet's "loudmouth" appraoch and proved it on the field. The Colts will be playing for the title while the Jets begin planning for the 2010 season.
The Colts have an established offense and have been a fixture of the playoffs for most of the last decade. Peyton Manning may be the best quarterback to ever play the game and arguably the most instinctive passer that has taken the field.
As for the Jets, having a rookie quarterback competing with the MVP tilts the scales in favor of the Colts. However, despite the lack of a aerial attack, the Jets field a quality offensive line that has helped pave the way for the NFL's first ranked, rushing offense. On the defensive side, Rex Ryan features a physical, attacking approach that heavily blitzes the passer. The Jets don't have an Elvis Dumervil or Demarcus Ware rushing the passer, but with a solid linebacking corps that combines the talents of Bart Scott and David Harris on the inside, and Calvin Pace off the edge, the unit manages to create pressure and disrupt an offensive attack.
Going into the game, both teams faced off with their contrasting styles and the Colts came out as the victor. The Jets kept it close in the first half thanks to solid pressure on Manning and Mark Sanchez's two touchdown strikes to Braylon Edwards and Dustin Keller. The critics who gave the Jets a chance were looking rational for their predictions
Despite the Jets' first half success, Peyton Manning made a statement to the boisterous Jets and the critics with precision passes to young receivers, Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon. Both receivers helped push the Colts to victory. Garcon posted double digit receptions and caught a td pass while Collie did much of his damage from the slot and through the middle as Dallas Clark stayed back in pass protection throughout a large portion of the game.
In the end, the Colts won with their passing game but were able to limit the Jets rushing attack and keep rookie tailback, Shonn Greene out of commission for most of the second half. Running back, Joseph Addai ran well and despite Clark's blocking assignments and Wayne's blanket coverage, Manning found a way to lead his team to victory. It was fitting that Peyton Manning made a slight remark to the Jet's "loudmouth" appraoch and proved it on the field. The Colts will be playing for the title while the Jets begin planning for the 2010 season.
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