damn i hate plashcke-style arms-folded "let's break up the piece to emphasize featherweight "points"
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — It wasn't the 45-10 humiliation suffered by the Broncos. It wasn't the bone-chilling cold. What stung the worst Saturday night was the sarcasm as thick as New England chowder when fans derisively chanted the name of Tim Tebow.Tom Brady and the Patriots gave Tebow and Denver a cold, hard lesson in what a mature quarterback and playoff-experienced team can do.
If this rout had been any uglier, somebody would have asked Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe to call out the National Guard.
So the plea goes out to Denver executive John Elway:
Send as many men as you can. The Broncos need help.
Start with a defensive tackle. Add a cornerback. And maybe a wide receiver.
An NFL season that exceeded all expectations in Denver ended in the postseason with a harsh reminder of how far the Broncos have to go before they can be considered a true championship contender.
Late in the fourth quarter, the frustration erupted and the teams briefly brawled after Denver linebacker Von Miller gave Patriots offensive lineman Dan Connolly a cheap shot in the back.
Tebow respectfully and humbly refers to the legendary quarterback of the New England Patriots as Mr. Brady.
Who's your daddy?
The Broncos would never have been a surprise entry in the NFL postseason without the heroic, fourth-quarter miracles of Tebow, the hottest trending athlete among football fans, devout Christians and television comedians alike.
Tebow might be full of promise.
Brady, however, is a quarterback in full.
In the first half, as New England built a daunting 35-7 lead, Tebow completed three of 10 passes for 28 yards. After two quarters, his quarterback rating was 39.6.
If anything, it revealed that Denver coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy don't yet trust Tebow to carry the Broncos on the road under the duress of playoff pressure.
Can an offense that seems to have more in common with black-and-white TV be truly successful in 21st century speeds of the internet? The conservative, ball-control style was inadequate to keep up with Mr. Brady.
The No. 1 quarterback in the AFC would finish the evening with statistics as pretty as his mug:
Brady completed 26 of 34 passes for 363 yards and six touchdowns. For good measure, the quarterback also showed off his foot with a punt.
This debacle was by no means all Tebow's fault. Offensive tackle Orlando Franklin had a solid first year, but often looked to be a rookie in way over his head against the New England pass rush.
The Denver secondary has perennial Pro Bowler Champ Bailey and three questions marks. Make that four question marks when Brady forced them to play nickel.
We haven't seen the defense of the Broncos look so weak and vulnerable since Josh McDaniels was at their games.
Oh, wait ...
The curse of former coach McDaniels was back.
Does Denver ever play well when he's in the building?
McDaniels went from offensive coordinator of the last-place St. Louis Rams to the staff of the top-seeded Patriots in a matter of days after the regular-season ended.
It stunk.
But there was McDaniels on the field during warm-ups before kickoff, wearing New England colors.
Although there are no NFL rules against Bill Belichick hiring McDaniels, the league's competition committee should address the issue. And address it soon.
But as any coach or player in the NFL can tell you:
McDaniels is easy to get a win against.
It is Brady who's hard to beat.
― omar little, Sunday, 15 January 2012 19:10 (thirteen years ago)