4 posts tagged “super bowl”

  There we sat, a world of fans and football watches, casual observers and die hards alike.  It was a moment of silence, a single moment in history when we knew not what to say.  Tom Brady, hero of a hundred games and MVP, stepped back, and lobbed it deep.  Here and now, the hail marry to end it all.  It was simple, these were the Patriots.  Moss was going to catch it, shake a safety and trot into the endzone. The cannons would sound, the confetti would fall and the champions would revel.  It was all planned out, the hats were ready, the books printed the papers fresh off the press.  It was all as was ordained.  The Perfect Patriots, the champions of the world, the heroes of the NFL universe.  We all were to bask in the perfection of their season.  The perfect franchise, the greatest dynasty.

 And then something happened, the ball fell to the ground, no flag, no mystery calls.  Silence, for just a moment.  New England was defeated, the monster lay slain.  As one second ticked off, and then back on, the clock, the game ended.  Three fourth quarter changes in the lead, one amazing helmet-pinned catch.  Like the Tackle, and the Catch, this moment is forever.  Eli Manning dropping back, the pressure, the pass the catch.  It wasn't a touchdown, it wasn't the last play of the game, but it was symbolic of everything that happened this Sunday.  It was improbable, impossible and no one believed it happened.  I was on my feet, floored.  And there you have it, 17-14, the Giants win.  You'll hear the lamentations for a hundred years, and you'll remember that catch forever.  But what does it mean?

18 and Done

  No other Super Bowl, and no other team, seemed to be as ordained as this Patriots team was.  From the brutal

crushing of the Jets, and Redskins and Dolphins, to the near misses in Phily, Baltimore and New York, the Patriots were the team of the year.  15-0. 16-0. 18-0.  One by one the teams fell and New England propelled itself closer to the unattainable.  With Icarus like glee, this team drove onward, heedless of the sun.  Even after the wings had melted, still it flew.  But like the Coyote of Roadrunner fame, the bottom fell out.  And there Bill Belichick was, running towards the locker room even as the ground gave way before him.

  Tom Brady holds the record for most touchdowns in a season by a quarterback.  He is the youngest ever back to reach four Super Bowls, and until Sunday, he was the youngest ever Quarterback to win four Super Bowls.  Randy Moss stood triumphant over Jerry Rice's 22 touchdowns, cruising his way to immortality as the man who made the Patriots perfect.  Even the 'scrappy-do' of the Patriots, Wes Welker, whose amazing 11 catches tied a Super Bowl record, was ordained to become great.  But then it all faded away.  Perhaps it was karma, because the Patriots broke the rules.  Maybe it was fate, because nothing perfect was built to last, who knows.  Was this the Tower of football Babel?  Did the gods of football strike down those impudent men, seeking to reach the unseen heights of perfection?  They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  Well, perhaps the road to failure this season was paved with perfection.

  Now this season stands as a lament, a forgotten song.  19-0 is gone forever.  The most potent offense in the history of football, stronger than the Browns of the 50's, more powerful than the Cowboys of the 90's or the Greatest Show on Turf in St. Louis, this New England team was unstoppable.  Moss was amazing, and when you shut him down, Stallworth stepped up.  When neither was there, Wes Welker appeared to be a safety valve.   We fans got to see one of the greatest teams in the history of sports play.  Every pass was perfect, every down used and treasured.  Brady's long list of accomplishments was dotted with perhaps the most perfect performance in playoff history, when against the Jaguars brutal defense he went 26 of 28 for three touchdowns and 262 yards.  Lawrence Maroney appeared out of no where to give the Pats a run game, and suddenly, in the cold and in the 4th quarter and when it mattered most, the Patriots re-emerged into their traditional, no-nonsense self.  And then, to finalize their season, they came up short.  Perfection was just inches away, and they missed it.  Back to Tantalus, stuck between the Super Bowl and perfection, both pulled away once more.  Does the season end without meaning?  In some ways, yes.  18-1 is nothing, not if that -1 came when it mattered most.  But this season was amazing for the Patriots.  let us not deny that this game was an upset.  This New England team was the strongest team I have ever seen.  But even the strongest team, can fail, that is why we watch the sport.

David slays Goliath

   The Band is on the Field, the Kick is Good, the game is over.  Victory, over defeat.  The scrappy band of nobodies upset the giants.  It's so sweet it could be a movie.  But what does it mean?  Beyond capping a miracle 11-road win season in which the Giants, picked by certain bloggers to not even make the post season and loose their head coach in the offseason, reached the Super Bowl, this game was it.  This game was the Miracle on Ice, where the West beat the East, where the Giant fell and the little team that could managed to shock the world.  This is why we watch the game, to see the unbelievable, the unexpected, and the amazing.  Like Iron Mike Tyson going down, and the Titans coming up short, this ending was one for a lifetime.  The Giants will be remembered not just as the winners of Super Bowl XLII, but as the team that succeeded where 18 others, including themselves, had failed.

  The Giants played the part of justice, blindly bringing about the end of a season of anger, frustration and hatred.  The Pats ran up the score, they rubbed it in, they were cocky, superior and 'the best'.  The Giants were an afterthought.  Come on, the AFC Championship was the Super Bowl right?  I myself considered not even turning the game on unless it came close.  Boy was I wrong.  The irony of all of this was, it wasn't like the Giants got lucky, or the ball bounced their way.  Occasionally (like when a fumbled hand-off got flat out robbed by the Giants) luck titled for the Giants, but overall there was nothing spectacular.  It was the Giants who first coughed up a turn over, and the Giants who failed twice in the redzone.  It wasn't luck that let the 4-down linemen of New York abuse the Patriots O-line and for the first time since 1/2 of the Dallas game, make Tom Brady earn his plays.  In the most impressive O-line, D-line battle I've ever seen, the Patriots flat out lost. The one tool that has forever been the key to the New England success, finally failed, and it failed gloriously. 

  The Giants defensive effort is the best I have ever seen.  It was better than the 70's Steelers, who towered over lesser opponents and ground their way to 4 rings.  It was better than the 85 Bears, whose defense not only stopped the Patriots, but put them in reverse.  It was even better than the Ravens defense, whose supremely physical style set the standard for defenses in the modern league.  The Giants, with young corners and old linebackers, managed to stop an offense that had not put up fewer that 20 points all season, and in fact had averaged 36.8 points per game.  37 points a game!  And the Giants held this monster to 14.  They did it by pressing the line, making (most) tackles and covering down the field.  Brady got pressured, so Brady had to throw early.  His receivers, so used to having the time to run routes, had to improvise, and too often it didn't work.  5 sacks and tons of hits left the Patriots breathless, and the Giants victors.  So, I apologize to Tom Coughlin, who I disregarded, and Eli Manning, who I doubted.   I was wrong, and never have I ever been more glad.

 Really, there is only one image you need to see to remember this game forever.

  It was the Great Escape, and the Catch IV. 
  It was Giants 17, Patriots 14.

 And I loved it. This is why we watch the game.

  In the course of NFL history, there have been 6 'dynasties'.  Now, dynasty is a word filled with a lot of meaning.  A dynasty is more than just a great football team, a dynasty is a team that has a year-in year-out impact on the league, and wins consistantly.  Perhaps the greatest sports dynasty of all time, the Boston Celtics of the the 50's and 60's, won 11 championships.  Likewise the Yankee's of the 40's and 50's, or the UCLA Bruins of the 60's and 70's, were teams that defined and shaped the league in which they existed.  Each team had its famous icon, its Babe Ruth, or Bill Russell; and each was defined and shaped by some dynamic and exciting coach, like John Wooden of the Bruins, or Al Arbour of the Islanders. In their own way, these teams shaped the modern world of sports.

  But too often, the great dynasties of sports overshadow their competitors, with good reason.  But for ever Michael Jordan led Chicago Bulls team, there was also a Patrick Ewing lead New York Knicks, the teams that were great, but not great enough.  And so, I'd like to dedicate this post, my first in a long time (sorry!) to those almost teams.  In the NFL, the great dynasties are remembered like this:

        1950's- Cleveland Browns (7 championship appearances, 3 wins) (Had to plug my Brownies!)
        1960's- Green Bay Packers (6 championship appearances, 5 wins)
        1970's- Pittsburgh Steelers (4 Championship appearances, 4 wins)
        1980's- San Francisco 49ers (4 Championship appearances, 4 wins)
        1990's- Dallas Cowboys (3 Championships appearances, 3 wins)
        2000's- New England Patriots (4 Championship appearances, 3 wins)

  These teams will always be remembered as the great ones, the definers of what it means to be football.  But right next to them should be listed the following teams.

        2000's- Philadelphia Eagles (4 NFC Title appearances, 1 Super Bowl loss)
        1990's- Buffalo Bills (4 straight Super Bowl losses)
        1980's- Denver Broncos (3 Super Bowl losses)
        1970's- Minnesota Vikings (3 Super Bowl losses, 1 NFL Championship loss)
        1960's- New York Giants (3 straight NFL Championship losses, plus 2 in the late 50's)

  For every world champion team, these guys had one almost-world champion.  Heartbreak and failure seemed to follow each franchise year in and year out.  For each team, the chance to make the biggest win on the biggest stage eluded them.  And, briefly, I'd like to look back on them and see how, and why, they failed.  This is by no means a critique of those teams, but merely a mention to the forgotten heroes of the dynasties we well remember.  From the Purple People Eaters to the K-gun Bills, these teams are the almost-theres.

The Philadelphia Eagles:
Divisional Titles: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006
NFC Title appearances: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
Super Bowl appearances: 2004
 

   Perhaps no one better emphasized the new brand of the NFL than Donovan McNabb.  He was, in one package, everything that you've come to expect in the 2000's NFL.  He is a quarterback, the position everyone loves to hate.  With new pro-QB friendly rules dominating the leauge, McNabb helped pilot the Eagles to 4 straight NFC title game appearances, and got them to the Super Bowl in 2004.  He was famous, in commercials, a great athlete, and a public figure.  In our world of 24 hour news shows, McNabb became a hot topic, be it race, athleticism or the failure to get it done, McNabb was the subject.

  I fondly rememer watching McNabb put together a 14.1 second scramble against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night, and get a huge win over a division foe.  But, along with McNabb, this team will always be remembered as the one Terrell Owens sank.  Forgotten are guys like Brian Westbrook, Jeremiah Trotter, and Brian Dawkins, who made up the heart and soul of this near-dynasty.  The Eagles were on the verge of greatness, but could never get their foot across that line.

The Buffalo Bills
Divisional Titles: 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995
Conference Titles: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993
Super Bowl Appearances: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993

  When one thinks of th

e greatest almost-there team, one has to think of the Bills.  Buffalo is the only team in history to go to 4 consecutive Super Bowls, and unfortunately the only team to loose 4 consecutive Super Bowls.  This team was loaded, and came screaming into 1990 on fire, getting to the Super Bowl without a challenge, only to come up wide right of the goal posts and loose to the Giants.  But with a team full of playmakers and hall of famers like Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas, there wasn't much doubt that the Bills would challenge again.  But this time it was the Redskins who drove the Bills home in defeat.

  In 1992, the chance came again, and after the largest comeback in NFL history against the Houston Oilers, only to be destroyed by the Cowboys.  The chance at revenge came again when the Bills took to the Cowboys in 1993, but again came up short.  Imagine how different things would have been if that kick had gone through the uprights instead of wide right?  By their fourth trip, the curse of the Bills was real in the minds of the players and fans, 4 straight losses was too much, and the greatest dynasty that never was faded into the background.

The Denver Broncos:
Divisional Titles: 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989
AFC Championship Appearances: 1986, 1987, 1989
Super Bowl Appearances: 1986, 1987, 1989

 The 1990's would be the turning point for this franchise, but the 1980's was a stretch of futility for the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos came into the playoffs as the #1 seed and reached the Super Bowl twice in three years, and added a third apperance as a #2 seed.  Led by the famous John Elway, the Broncos handed the Browns two of their most infamous losses in the Drive and the Fumble, and reached the Super Bowl.   After Elway drove across Cleveland's defense and put his team into the Super Bowl, everyone thought they had it locked.  A brutal defense led by Rulon Jones among others helped seal the deal... almost.  The Giants won 39-20.  The next year, the Browns fumbled away a win to the Broncos, who got to attempt another shot at fame, and came up way too short.

  1989 was all about the defense.  With a great D-line and tough corners, the Broncos hoped to turn the tables and get a win.  Unfortunately for the Broncos, the 49ers were ready.  Jerry Rice and Joe Montana cruised over the Broncos and won by a resounding margin, 55-10.  Elway couldn't get anything going and turned the ball over constantly.  With a young running back, and very little help in the receiving corp, Elway's attempt to win the game himself failed.  But for Broncos fans, this didn't hurt too much, beacuse by the end of the next decade, the Broncos showed up to play, and defeated the Packers and Falcons to win two rings before retiring.

Minnesota Vikings:
Divisional Titles: 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978
Conference Titles: 1973, 1974, 1976
Super Bowl Losses: 1973, 1974, 1976 (Also lost 1969)

   Led by Fran Tarkenton, John Gilliam, Churck Foreman and the great Alan Page, the Vikings were the almost team of the 1970's.  In an era dominated by the Steel Curtain, the Vikings with their Purple People Eaters, were one step behind.  The Vikings dominated their division, but struggled to get out of the conference, winning only 3 (appearing in 4).  Unfortunately for the Vikings, when they did get to the big game they struggled.  Despite having an awesome defense, Larry Csonka had 145 yards and 2 touchdowns, carrying the Dolphins to a Super Bowl win in 1973.  The very next year, the great defense of the Steelers came up against the Purple People Eaters, and came up victorious.  This time it was Franco Harris who had the yards, and the Steelers dominated both sides of the line.  Despite having the hall of fame O-lineman Ron Yary, the Vikings couldn't get started, and the Steelers struck first with a safety.  With one last shot at victory, the Vikings came up against the Raiders in Super Bowl 11, and once more, the Vikings came up flat loosing 32-14 to the Black Hole.

New York Giants:
Conference Titles: 1961, 1962, 1963
Championship Losses: 1961, 1962, 1963

  After "The Greatest Game Ever Played" in 1958, the Giants looked ready to roar into the 60's as one of the most dominant teams in the young NFL.  With an offense led by the hall of famer Y.A. Tittle, and Del Shofner, the Giants came ready to play. In 1961 the Giants collapsed in front of the Green Bay Packers, loosing 31-0.  The very next year Green Bay repeated and squeaked by the Giants with a second win.  To round out their three years of loosing, the Giants fell to the Bears 14-10.  After this loss in 1963, the Giants would go 23 years without a championship appearance, and then win two, drubbing both the Broncos and Bills enroute to their third appearance this year.
~~

 So, we must ask ourselves briefly, what makes a dynasty a dynasty?  Its not just success, because lots of teams get to the top only to come up short.  And its not just championships, because Denver won two in the 90's, and are rarely considered the team of the decade.  Why these dynasties come together seems complicated, but there are some trends.  The Patriots won two Super Bowls on the leg of their kicker, the same player who cost the Bills their first shot.  The Cowboys drilled the Bills in their first two meeting, leaving the Boys to win 3 Super Bowls and the Bills to loose four, the Giants were destroyed by the Packers twice as well.  When Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw suffered, the rest of the team stepped up, John Elway did not have that luxury with his Broncos.  And sometimes, despite having all the pieces in place and the team reved up and ready, like the 49'ers of the 80's, you just come up short and never get to reach that final goal.

A while ago I Blogged about first round running backs and with the draft approaching I thought it may be approprtiate to take a look at another big name position on the offensive side of the ball.  And who in the NFL is more recognizable than the quarterback?

2005
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Alex Smith, San Francisco 49’ers (1^st overall)- 56.2%, 17 td, 27 int
*Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (24^th overall)- 48.4%, 0 td, 1 int
*Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins (25^th overall)- 53.1%, 10 td, 6 int
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2004
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Philip Rivers, New York Giants (3^rd overall)- 61.4%, 23 td, 10 int
Ben Roethlisberger- Pittsburgh Steelers (11^th overall)- 62.4%, 52 td, 43 int
J. P. Losman- Buffalo Bills (22^nd overall)- 58%, 27 td, 23 int
--
2003
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Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals (1^st overall)- 63.8%, 78 td, 43 int
Byron Leftwich, Jacksonville Jaguars (7^th overall)- 58.7%, 51 td, 36 int
Kyle Boller, Baltimore Ravens (19^th overall)- 55.8%, 35 td, 34 int
Rex Grossman, Chicago Bears (22^nd overall)- 54.4%, 27 td, 26 td
--
2002
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David Carr, Houston Texans (1^st overall)- 60%, 59 td, 65 int
Joey Harrington, Detroit Lions (3^rd overall)- 55.2%, 72 td, 77 int
Patrick Ramsey, Washington Redskins (32^nd overall)- 55.7%, 34 td, 29 int
--
2001
--
Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons (1^st overall)- 53.8%, 71 td, 52 int
--
2000
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Chad Pennington, New York Jets (18^th overall)- 65.1%, 72 td, 46 int 
~~~  

 All but four of these QB’s are starters in the NFL right now (Ramsey, Harrington, Boller and Rodgers).  Where were the other starters in the NFL drafted?

Payton Manning was drafted in the first round with the first pick of the 1998 NFL draft.
Brett Favre was taken in the second round, as the second pick.
Donovan McNabb was taken in the first round with the second pick.
Daunte Culpepper was taken in the 1^st round with the 11^th pick.
Tom Brady was taken in the 6^th round.
Steve McNair was taken in the first round with the 3^rd pick
Charlie Frye was taken in the 3^rd round.
Vince Young was taken in the first round
Kerry Collins was taken in the first round with the 5^th pick
Jake Plummer was selected in the 2^nd round, while Jay Cutler was a first round pick
Damon Huard went undrafted, Trent Green was drafted in the 8^th round.
Aaron Brooks went in the 4^th round, and Andrew Walter was selected in the 3^rd round.
Romo wasn’t drafted, but Bledsoe was selected in the first round with the first pick.
Jon Kitna was undrafted.
Brad Johnson was selected in the 9^th round.
Delhomme was undrafted in 1998, while the man who plays for the team that signed him, Drew Brees, went in the second round.
Chris Simms was a third round pick, Gradkowski went in the 6^th round.
Warner was an arena football player, while Bulger went in the 6^th round.
Lastly, Hasselbeck went in the 6^th round in 1998.

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So, of all the quarterbacks, the ones who have reached the Super Bowl (and are still active) are as follows-

1^st- 7
2^nd-2
3rd- 0
4^th- 0
5^th- 0
6^th- 2
7^th- 0
8^th- 1
9^th- 1
Undrafted- 1
~~

Overall the QB’s who played in the Super Bowl are as follows:

1st- 23
2^nd- 4
3rd-5th- 9
6^th-9^th- 5
9^th onwards- 6
Undrafted- 3   

 Although my birthday come four days after the Super Bowl (sigh); I think I will look ahead to it anyway.  With the regular season rapidly approaching its terminal week, we can safely begin to make our predictions for the post-season.  This year has proven the parity of the league, while letting us make safe bets as to the outcomes of some teams.  We've had our teams plagued and ruined by injury (Cleveland, etc.); we've had teams bounce back from obscurity to greatness (New Orleans).  Overall it has been a great season thus far.  Im content with all but one outcome of the year thus far.  I'll get to that later.

 So; here is what the season looks like this far (including the Saturday and Thursday games)

NFC

1. Chicago Bears 11-2
2. New Orleans Saints 9-4
3. Dallas Cowboys 9-5
4. Seattle Seahawks 8-6
5. N.Y. Giants 7-6
6. Philadelphia Eagles 7-6  
7. Atlanta Falcons 7-7
8. Minnesota Vikings 6-7
9. Carolina Panthers 6-7

 These are the 9 NFC teams who could end the season with a winning record.  Of them, both Minnesota and Carolina are out of playoff contention in all realisitic outcomes.  That leaves us with 3 teams battling for the 2 wildcard spots.  Chicago has already secured a spot as the division champ, as well as a bye through the wildcard week.  So; they will be in through round two.  New Orleans secures the NFC South with a win over Washington today; and a bye with wins over New York and Carolina.  Dallas needs to win twice, and have New York loose out to win their division.  If the Giants and the Cowboys are tied at the end of the season, the Giants will win the division (because Dallas lost to Philadelphia, Washington, and New York).  Seattle can win its division with one more win; which it will get against Tampa Bay.

 An interesting aside; If Philadelphia wins its next three games (Dallas, NY and Atlanta) it will move to  10-6, and if New York looses one more game after Phily it would fall to 9-6; and Dallas would tie Phily at 10-6.  Because of Tie Breakers, Philadelphia would win the division... who'd of thought it could happen.

 That leaves the NFC looking like this.

1. Chicago 14-2
2. New Orleans 11-5
3. Dallas 11-5
4.Seattle 9-6
5. New York 9-6
6. Philadelphia 8-8

 This means that the NFC East would have 3 teams in the playoffs; which is impressive as none of them were predicted to be contenders (Washington was the savy pick at the start of the year).  Seattle would face New York, and Eli Manning would tank again.  Philadelphia would face Dallas, and it would be a close game.  In the rematch of the game that Phily will likely loose, in Dallas, T.O. gets his revenge and Dallas wins a close won.

 Seattle then looses to Chicago by a landslide (like Seattle did to Carolina last year), and the Super Dome magic comes in handy as 'America's Team' meets the new 'America's Team'; and New Orleans wins a close game.   That leaves Chicago hosting New Orleans in the NFC Championship game.  This is where things get tricky.  The offense of New Orleans would be clicking on all cylanders, while the Bears' offense would be just barely making the cut.  However, coming off a big win over Seattle, and playing at home gives the Bears an advantage.  That being said, Fate is on the side of the Saints, who would win this game by a last second field goal and advance to the Super Bowl.

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AFC

 

1. San Diego Chargers 11-2
2. Indianapolis Colts 10-3   
3. Baltimore Ravens 10-3
4. New England Patriots 9-4
5. Cincinnati Bengals 8-5        
6.  Jacksonville 8-5
7. N.Y. Jets 7-6
8. Kansas City Chiefs 7-6
9. Denver Broncos 7-6

 San Diego has won its division, and will win home field advantage at the end of the season.  Indy likewise will hold a 12-4 record and be tied for the second spot. Baltimore will loose to either Pittsburgh or Cleveland and fall to 12-4; however, Baltimore's in division recrod is better, thus it goes to 2nd.  New England, because it has gone 1-1 with the Jets, will end up squeaking by the conference and emerge 11-6 at the end of the season.  The AFC Wild Card is now far more interesting than the NFC's.  5 teams can stake claim to the wildcard positions.  Cincinnati will likely just miss the cut, falling twice in the next three weeks and ending the season 9-7, too short in this tough conference.  Jacksonville can beat New England if it tries hard enough.   It should then carry that momentum against Kansas City and end up 10-5, Wild Card team.  Kansas City, having lost to Jacksonville and San Diego will end up 8-8, missing the playoffs again.  Denver  will win only one more game this year, and likewise be an 8-8 team.  That leaves New York with 3 wins to end the season and secure a 10-6 Wild Card spot.

 Since the Jets lost to the Jaguars in the regular season, the Jaguars would get the #1 wildcard spot.  That leaves the AFC looking like this,.

1.San Diego 14-2
2.Baltimore12-4
3.Indianapolis 12-4
4.New England 11-6
5.Jacksonville 10-6
6.New York Jets 10-6

 The playoffs go as follows.  New England hosts New York, and looses for a second straight time; meaning New York moves on.  Jacksonville cannot maintain the consistency it needs against Indianapolis, who moves on.  San Diego then hosts New York, and Baltimore hosts Indy.  One is a blowout, the other a shootout.  I think Indianapolis edges Baltimore because Baltimore grew fat on its easy schedule.  It won a lot of games it should have won against weak AFC and mediocre NFC teams.  Its only wins of any note were against San Diego by three, and a game against New Orleans where they gave up 22 points.  Indy will likely put up 30 and win.  San Diego will also put up at least 30 points, as the poor Jets run defense gets two full barrels of LT.

 LT continues to roll as the weak Indy run defense can't stop the San Diego Chargers from heading to the Super Bowl.

 Final Game, Super Bowl.

 Brees vs Rivers, dramatic, no?  The San Diego defense is better than New Orleans, and wins this game. 27-21, MVP Quentin Jammer who pulls down a pick and returns it for a touchdown to pull the Chargers up 14-7 in the 2nd quarter; and the picks off Bree's who attempts a hail marry at the end of the game, giving the San Diego Chargers a Super Bowl victory.