The Sports Monitor

There's been plenty of talk about the Seahawks' defense entering Super Bowl Week. In all the raving about their D, I haven't heard much talk about their light schedule. Of course the defense should have impressive numbers if they don't face teams with much of an offense. How did they stack up? You be the judge: Team, record, points scored rank Panthers, 12-4, 18th 49ers, 12-4, 11th Jaguars, 4-12, 32nd Texans, 2-14, 31st Colts, 11-5,14th (Loss) Titans, 7-9, 19th Cardinals, 10-6, 16th Rams, 7-9, 21st Bucs, 4-12, 30th Falcons, 4-12, 20th Vikings, 5-10-1, 14th Saints, 11-5, 10th 49ers, 12-4, 11th (Loss) Giants, 7-9, 28th Cardinals, 10-6, 16th (Loss) Rams, 7-9, 21st The Seahawks faced 11 teams ranked in the bottom half of NFL scoring, including the three worst scoring offenses in the NFL.  The highest offense, the Saints, ranked 10th. I generally take a top defense over a top offense in big games, but this Seahawks' defense isn't elite. ...

The most exciting game to watch this weekend -- for me, anyway -- was the Ravens' upset of the Broncos. I know, there was a fantastic finish in the Falcons-Seahawks game, but I give the edge to the Broncos' game. I guess it's because I'm biased. As much as I don't like rooting for the Ravens, I was happy to see Peyton Manning and the Broncos lose. It's probably because I'm so sick and tired of the Manning show. Since the midway point of the season, we've been told how great he is and it hasn't stopped. CBS' telecast was a Manning lovefest. Going into the game, I heard analysts rave about the Broncos' defense. They actually called it the best defense that Manning has had. That Super Bowl-winning team Manning had with the Colts was led by Defensive Player of the Year Bob Sanders. I thought that was a pretty darn good team. That's not the only thing that had me scratching my head. Everyone had pegged the Broncos for an AFC ti...

Adrian Peterson just capped one of the greatest seasons in NFL history. The Minnesota Vikings running back rushed for 2,097 yards, just a few feet short of Eric Dickerson's record of 2,105 set in 1984. Oh, he did it less than a year after a gruesome knee injury. Yet it's not a lock for him to win the league's MVP award. Some guy named Peyton Manning is getting a lot of the love. Manning finished the season with 4,659 yards and 37 touchdown passes with the Denver Broncos after missing the 2011 season with a career-threatening neck injury. Pretty impressive numbers, but A.P. is my pick, and it's not even close. Manning took over for a Broncos' team that made the playoffs in 2011. He has two high-end wide receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. They have a solid running game with Knowshon Moreno and, before him, Willis McGahee. Peterson? He was the Vikings' offense. The Vikes lost their top receiver, Percy Harvin, and had no one else. The...

I look at the Denver Broncos' pursuit of Peyton Manning and I see an intricate storyline. It's almost like AMC's "The Killing," where multiple plots are weaved together. If you missed "The Killing" or are boycotting the show because of its Season 1 ending, try a more popular example, "Seinfeld," where two plots meet at the end. First, there's Manning's search for a new home after the Indianapolis Colts decided to go in a different direction. While there are plenty of people hailing the Broncos as Super Bowl contenders with Manning as quarterback, let's not crown them -- or Manning -- just yet. Manning missed the entire season with multiple neck surgeries. He's also 36. Those are two big strikes against him. He'll also be without All-Pro receivers like Marvin Harrison or Reggie Wayne. Manning's top running back, Willis McGahee, will hit an over-the-hill-for-a-running-back 31 during the 2012 season. And will th...

Robert Griffin III a Redskin? Mark Sanchez an extension by the Jets? Peyton Manning could be a Bronco? Crazy stuff. The biggest, boldest move was the deal reported by FoxSports.com, where the Redskins will trade up to get the Rams' No. 2 pick. The deal, everyone is assuming, was made to get RG3, the Heisman Trophy winning QB from Baylor. It's quite a move, which could set up the Redskins or doom it. It also allows the Rams to beef up their roster. They'll get two future first-round picks and a second-round pick from the Redskins. The move I don't like is the three-year extension of Sanchez by the Jets. Sanchez has been overrated and overhyped by the New York media. Clearly Manning wasn't interested in the Jets or this move wouldn't have taken place. I'm still not sure what to make of Manning's visit to the Broncos. I don't think Tim Tebow is the answer for Denver, but I don't think Manning makes them an instant Super Bowl favorite.

The Steelers' loss to the Broncos in the playoffs still is fresh in my head, even though in was way back in wild-card weekend. Also notable from that loss was a comment made by Hines Ward after the Steelers' surprising loss 29-23 loss: "This will stick with (us) a lot as one of the worst games we ever lost." Yeah, that was a tough loss to take, but I'm not sure it cracks this list: Steelers lose 24-7 to the Raiders in the 1976 AFC Championship Game. The Raiders beat a Steelers team without Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier. This was probably the best Steelers team of all time and the injuries prevented the Steelers from winning three straight Super Bowls. Steelers lose to Cowboys 27-17 in Super Bowl XXX. Neil O'Donnell makes Larry Brown the Super Bowl MVP.  Steelers lose to Patriots 24-21 in AFC Championship Game in January 2002. Troy Brown returns a punt for a TD. Steelers lose to Chargers 17-13 in AFC Championship Game in 1995. Ugly loss to a team th...

I had a rough weekend picking the wild-card round. I had too many outside influences on my choices. Fantasy football leagues, home teams, allegiances all came into play. I've eliminated all the outside factors this week. It's time to bounce back. Saints at 49ers: Classic matchup between great offense and great defense. The Niners are at home and on grass, which should slow down the Saints, but I don't see how Alex Smith can lead San Fran past Drew Brees and the Saints. If the Niners are to win, the defense will need some turnovers and probably score at least one touchdown. The Saints are just too much. Saints 27, 49ers 16 Giants at Packers: Don't look now, but the Giants defense on a roll. They will face a serious test against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, but they are peaking at the right time. Will it be enough? I don't think so. All season, Rodgers and Co. have come through, putting up the points when needed. The Giants might shut d...

I'm still scratching my head wondering how the Pittsburgh Steelers let the Denver Broncos win Sunday's AFC wild-card game. The defense was supposed to be No. 1-ranked defense and No. 1 in passing yards allowed. Yet Tim Tebow threw for 316 yards. Ike Taylor will get a brunt of the criticism because he couldn't cover himself with a blanket during the game. But it's not all his fault. The defense did not sack Tebow. In fact, it looked like they were afraid to deliver a hit to Tebow, who looks more like a tight end than a frail quarterback. It appeared the Steelers sold out to stop the run, daring Tebow to beat them with the pass. In fact, it looked like they didn't think Tebow could complete a pass. I have to admit, I, too, don't think he's much of a passer, but he completed enough to win. And, man, those completions were long. Maybe the Steelers just had a bad game plan. Maybe the team was too old on defense. Maybe Ben Roethlisberger hurt the...

The Steelers got Tebowed? Nah. For a team to get Tebowed, it must have the game in control and have Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow pull out a stunning victory. Outside a 6-0 lead in the first quarter, the Steelers never were in control of their AFC wild-card game against the Broncos on Sunday. Tebow made the Steelers defense look silly, making big play after big play. He passed for 316 yards, a career high. The last 80 yards came in overtime on a catch-and-run on the first play. Game over. Season over. But  it shouldn't come as a big surprise. Even though the Steelers won 12 games, they hardly looked like a dominant team. They never really had the look of a team ready to compete for a Super Bowl championship. They especially struggled on the road, barely getting b weaklings in Indy and K.C. And now comes the Tebow game. The defense should be embarrassed for allowing the number of big plays. I warned of a perfect storm brewing for an upset. It all ca...

Everyone is saying this should be a playoff game the Pittsburgh Steelers win. The Denver Broncos backed into the playoffs, quarterback Tim Tebow is struggling and the team doesn't deserve to be in the postseason. I don't see it that way. I see a dangerous team playing with house money in front of a home crowd. I also see a beat-up Steelers team. The game certainly can be a lot closer than people expect, and the Broncos can pull off the upset. Fans point to Tebow's struggles the last three weeks, especially last week's 7-3 loss to the Chiefs. They don't say much about a healthier Steelers' team that only scored 13 points against those same Chiefs. And if you want to talk about struggles, how about Ben Roethlisberger's hard time playing on a bad ankle? He hasn't looked right in his two starts since suffering the injury. Will he be OK? And I'll leave you with this final thought: If the Broncos are trailing by six points or less with ...

The NFL playoffs finally are here, and, if you're like me, you can't get enough of the stuff. It looks like we should be headed for some high-scoring games, defensive struggles and some close calls this weekend. Here's how I see the weekend unfolding: Bengals at Texans: The Bengals are lucky to be in the postseason, while the Texans are lucky to have a quarterback after going through about 16 during the regular season. Arian Foster should get plenty of carries for the Texans, along with Ben Tate. The big question is whether quarterback T.J. Yates will be able to find Andre Johnson. If he can, it would go a long way for the Texans to win. However, something tells me rookie QB Andy Dalton finds some way to win against a tough Texans defense. Maybe he hooks up with A.J. Green on a big play. Maybe the Bengals defense pressures Yates into a big mistake. Bengals 20, Texans 17. Lions at Saints: This game should be fun to watch. The Saints, powered by record-set...

I was leery of the Pittsburgh Steelers playing Ben Roethlisberger against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. It wasn't worth the risk, sending a hobbled quarterback into a meaningless game, unnecessarily risking further injury to someone vital to the team in getting back to the Super Bowl. Maybe there is something to worry about. Roethlisberger had a setback with his injured ankle, making a road game against a struggling Broncos team that much more interesting. For those thinking the game is a gimme, think again. The Steelers have struggled on the road all season, getting crushed at Baltimore, struggling to beat the Colts, losing against the Texans, barely getting by the Chiefs and edging the Browns. The wild-card game was going to be tougher before news of Roethlisberger's injury. Now, it just got a little tougher.

I wasn't impressed with Rashard Mendenhall this season. The Pittsburgh Steelers running back finished the season with 928 yards rushing on 228 carries, good for a 4.1 average. He also had nine touchdowns. He tore his ACL in Sunday's win against the Cleveland Browns, and now the Steelers will enter the playoffs without their leading rusher. No problem, I say. Mendenhall didn't have it this season. He had just two 100-yard games, 146 against the Jags and 116 against the Rams. Other than that, his best total was 70 yards against the Patriots. I don't think the Steelers will miss Mendenhall. Isaac Redman, despite his two fumbles against the Browns, is a capable fill-in. He totaled 479 yards on 110 carries, a 4.4 average. I expect the Steelers to use Redman, John Clay and Mewelde Moore against the Broncos. The bigger worry, to me, is Ben Roethlisberger's health and how he can handle the Denver defense. It's a shame Mendenhall was injured, but that wo...

It was looking like Steelers-Broncos for a couple weeks. Now it's official. Pittsburgh will travel to Denver for the first round of the playoffs and get a taste of Tim Tebow mania. It's a game the Steelers should win. Just one quick warning: Don't get too confident. Last year, the Seattle Seahawks won the NFC West with a 7-9 record. Their opponent that wild-card weekend was the New Orleans Saints. Seattle jumped on New Orleans early and held on to beat the then-defending Super Bowl champs 41-36. Keep that in the back of your mind during the week.

Ready or not, Steelers fans, you could be looking at a 13-win season and a wild-card berth. It's not the end of the world, especially when it's not impossible to win the Super Bowl as a wild-card team. But what do you do when your first-round opponent is Tim Tebow -- I mean the Denver Broncos? The Broncos, winners of six straight, have a one-game lead over the Oakland Raiders. It looks like a lock that the AFC West division winner will be the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. That means the top wild-card team, and unless the Ravens lose it looks like the Steelers, would get the Broncos. I keep waiting and waiting for Tebow to fail, and he just keeps winning and winning. He'll play the ugliest three quarters of football and somehow spur his team to victory. I'm sure the league will catch up to him, just like the league caught up to the Miami Dolphins' Wildcat offense. But for now, it looks like Steelers Nation will square off against the mystic powers of Tebow....

I'm sorry, I just can't catch the hype with Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. Maybe I can't catch it because Tebow can't throw it without it bouncing to me. I watch him play quarterback, a position that usually requires the player to throw the football, and I see a first baseman. The reason I make that comparison is not because Tebow reminds me of a power hitter capable of hitting 40 home runs in a season. I see him as a first baseman throwing groundballs to infielders between innings, because that's what his passes look like. Look, Tebow seems like a fantastic person. He has high morals, strong convictions and doesn't come across as a phony individual. That doesn't mean he can play quarterback or is immune from criticism. Last Thursday he led the Broncos on a game-winning drive to beat the New York Jets. Then the hysteria began. Denver Post columnist Woody Paige immediately jumped on the bandwagon . Tebow's 95-yard march drew instant co...