The Sports Monitor

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...

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...

Alex Smith to Vernon Davis. Seriously? Smith to Davis? The next Montana to Clark in 49ers' lore? That's what they're saying in San Francisco after Saturday's thrilling 36-32 win over the New Orleans Saints in the NFC divisional playoffs. It's a great win for San Francisco fans. And Davis' grab at the end of the game was one heck of a play. He took quite a hit in the end zone. But let's not make them legends just yet. So excuse me while a rain on their parade. Once Smith continues to perform at a level warranted of legends like Joe Montana, then throw him in that class. San Francisco's defense deserves some credit, too, for picking off Saints quarterback Drew Brees twice and recovering two fumbles. The Niners offense, however, continued to look like it was allergic to the end zone until the end of the game. So, San Fran fans, enjoy the win. It likely won't happen next week. The 49ers still are flawed and I would pick against them in ...

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 ...

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....

Did you watch the Chargers-Broncos game Sunday? Most people will talk about the game Tim Tebow had. That's fine. But I'm sure there are people talking about Nick Novak relieving himself on the sideline. NFL.com has the video here . I guess when you gotta go, you gotta go.

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...