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.

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!