SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!

Photo: Mike via Flickr

Ah yes. It's Super Bowl Sunday! The BEST, and worst (because it's ending), day on the NFL calendar. The best two teams from each division, NFC and AFC, square off in a winner-take-all battle to the death!...well, at least the final whistle, anyways.

This past NFL season gave us many great surprises with this Super Bowl match up being one of them. Raise your hands if you predicted a 49ers versus Ravens Super Bowl match-up? Alright I'll give you that one. But, raise your hand if you saw Colin Kaepernick led 49ers team going up against a Ray Lewis led Ravens team post-torn triceps? LIARS!! ALL OF YOU ARE LIARS!!

Another great surprise from this past NFL season was was play of our fabulous freshman: RG3, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, Doug Martin, Alfred Morris, and we'll throw Kaepernick in there just because this was his first season as the starting quarterback.

Who would've thought on draft day last April that those three rookie quarterbacks would be leading their teams to the playoffs? It is simply incredible what they have accomplished this season and while RG3 was named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, all three of them should be commended.

Speaking of Andrew Luck, how about those Colts? They lost Peyton Manning two years prior, Jeff Saturday just before the season, and then, oh by the way, Head Coach Chuck Pagano gets diagnosed with cancer just after the season got started!

The fact that they got to the playoffs speaks volumes to Andrew Lucks leadership as well as Bruce Arians leadership. Kudos to Arians on the new gig in Arizona and on winning the AP Coach of the Year award.

And how about Peyton Manning? Just one season after having multiple neck surgeries (and also being warned by doctors that the next hit you take could be your last), he suited up with Denver Broncos and proved that Tim Tebow (I couldn't go the entire NFL review post without name dropping him now could I?) isn't the only person that can win in Denver. Congrats to Mr. Manning on winning AP Comeback Player of the Year.

Speaking of comebacks, Adrian Peterson's recovery from a torn ligament in his knee was nothing short of sensational. Only one person saw that coming: MVPeterson. Not even one year removed from that devastating hit at FedEx did Peterson comeback and run through, over, and around the NFL while almost breaking the single season rushing record. Congrats to AP on AP NFL MVP.

Records are made to be broken, right? Just ask Jerry Rice. Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson simply crushed Jerry's single season receiving mark with a few weeks left to spare. The Johnson's, Andre and Calvin (no relation), had great seasons and have solidified themselves among the best of the NFL's all-time receivers (sorry, Randy.).

Oh, what a season it was. As we reflect back on the 2012-2013 NFL season, it certainly was a memorable one. For me, it even gave me my most memorable NFL experience when I sat five rows from the endzone for the Redskins versus Ravens thriller.

A post titled "SUPER BOWL SUNDAY" just simply wouldn't be complete without my own Super Bowl prediction. Well, here it goes:

Ravens 37, 49ers 34. MVP: Ray Rice. 

Happy Super Bowl Sunday, everyone.

And the Winner is...

Andrew Luck, above, may be the front runner for Rookie of the Year. (Photo: PathosProject)

As the regular season draws to end and the playoffs begin, the award races are beginning to heat up. For today's post, I'll be taking a look at the Rookie of the Year race.

At the beginning of the season, there were three clear-cut front runners: Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III (RG3), and Trent Richardson. Following the regular season, the number of players in the running increased to four...but two were not expected.

Andrew Luck and RG3 were essentially locks as finalists for the award. But, after a season that came up just short of 1,000 rush yards for Richardson, I am removing him from my final four. Instead, I am adding Russell Wilson and Alfred Morris.

As the season progressed, so did Wilson (and that's what landed him on this list). However, based off of his slow start and inconsistent season, you can eliminate him. Luck, RG3, and Morris were consistent in their performances throughout the whole season.

So that brings it down to three finalists: Andrew Luck, RG3, and Alfred Morris.

Let's start with the dynamic duo of RG3 and Alfred Morris. Washington's most loved players became the first rookie quarterback and running back tandem to rush for over 500 yards individually in a single season and led the Redskins to a 10-6 record and into the playoffs.

Unfortunately, when it comes to the award races, these are two are each others worst enemy. They rely on each other like blue cheese and buffalo wings. If you remove one, the other is awful. And if RG3 or Morris is removed from the offense, it is nowhere near as successful.

Who does Andrew Luck have? No one. The running game has been less then stable this season for the Colts and without Reggie Wayne the passing attack would have a hard time getting going. Simply put, Luck is doing this by himself. He's putting on an absolute display and has been doing so since the beginning of season. Plus, he's led his team to an 11-5 record, better than RG3s 10-6.

BUT, in the interest of fun, here are my final two for NFL Rookie of the Year....Andrew Luck and Alfred Morris.

OUTRAGE in the Nations capital as RG3 is left off my final two for a sixth round draft pick that just happens to also play for the Redskins...but, I have my reasons.

What happens when RG3 can't find the handle? Who do they rely on? Alfred Morris. Who is the "set-up" man for the offense? Alfred Morris. The Redskins rely on the run game of Alfred Morris to make the passing game go "BOOM". So, that's why he's my finalist.

As for Andrew Luck? Well, come on. Didn't I explain that above? He is the Colts sole source of offense and has filled some pretty big shoes (*cough* Manning *cough*) pretty well. In fact, Luck's rookie season has gone considerably better than Manning's AND Luck didn't even have a real head coach for most of it.

So...the winner of the 2012-2013 NFL Rookie of the Year Award is........Andrew Luck.

Luck has gone against all odds. The questions about whether he'll be like Manning, then his head coach  leaves after being diagnosed with cancer (#ChuckStrong), and he still lead his team to an 11-6 record and a playoff birth.

Read it and weep, ladies and gents.

Who do you think should be Rookie of the Year? Leave your answer in a comment below!

Looks Can Be Deceiving...

While the records set by Calvin "Megatron" Johnson, Andrew Luck, and Jason Witten were impressive, they're not as impressive as their predecessors.

Before I dive in and ruin the glory of setting records, let's first go over what record each player broke.

On Saturday night, Megatron broke Jerry Rice's record for most receiving yards in a single season. The record currently sits just under 1,900 yards at 1,892. Andrew Luck broke the rookie single season passing record today against the Chiefs. He threw for 205 yards while surpassing Cam Newtons record of 4,051. Jason Witten broke Tony Gonzalez' record for single season receptions by a tight end with his 103rd receptions of 2012 today against the Saints.

But, while all these records and stats are great...they're not THAT great.

More and more each day, the NFL is becoming a passing league. That means, records like these that were impressive 10-15 years ago, are expected numbers in the modern football era.

When Jerry Rice roamed the football fields, having nearly 2,000 yards receiving in a single season was absolutely biblical. This season, that is a goal for Calvin Johnson. In my opinion, that shouldn't even be his goal...his goal should be more.

In the fourth quarter alone last night, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford threw 27 passes. 27!!...??? His arm must have been like Jello this morning! No wonder Johnson has that many receiving yards.

Andrew Luck and Jason Witten have been the two steady points for their highly combustible teams. Without Luck, the Colts are winless. Without Witten, the Cowboys have no one to match up against linebackers. Simply put, Witten is the Cowboys only weapon.

Don't get me wrong, anytime a player breaks the record of a current/future Hall of Famer it's a big deal. However, with the way the NFL runs, or passes, now-a-days these numbers should be expected...not awed at.

Times have changed. 10-15 years ago, people oohed and awed when receivers broke records...because it was rare for receivers to have big numbers. I propose that, after Adrian Peterson breaks Eric Dickersons record this season, people will get all googly eyed when a running back breaks an all-time record.

Running backs are obsolete. If you can't catch, you can't play in the world of professional football.

What are some thoughts that come to mind after reading my post? Start the discussion by posting your reaction below!