As I write this, the sun is shining and it is 42 degrees in Bradford. I don’t know how that’s even possible, but I won’t be arguing. Welcome to Kolodkin’s Corner. Let’s talk about the singularly greatest game in professional sports… the Pro Bowl.
Pro Bowl
A round of applause to anyone who watched the Pro Bowl.
Not more than 10 years ago, it was a real game. Looking at it now, the “game” is a match of two-hand touch, in full pads, while receivers run half-speed routes and linemen act like they’re rushing the passer.
NFL players aren’t oblivious to the game’s lack of enthusiasm, either.
“Lord help me,” said Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders on Twitter. “I’m watching the Pro Bowl and I remember when we were so proud and appreciative of that accolade. We went to Hawaii to prove we were more than worthy. So we competed at practice and in the game. I wanted (you) to know that PRIME was PRIME! What happened and when?”
To be fair, the money players are making now is far more than it was even 15 years ago.
And both players and teams don’t want to risk their biggest stars getting injured in a meaningless game. Why risk an ACL tear in February, if it means you won’t be ready in September? Or worse, it means you won’t be ready ever again. That’s an injury potentially worth tens of millions of dollars. It’s hard to blame guys for going half speed, or teams wanting them to go half speed.
Additionally, for players who just exited the playoffs, it might be painful to play in the Pro Bowl.
The sting of knowing that you were just a few yards from the Super Bowl isn’t going to be soothed, no matter how nice the weather in Las Vegas.
All that being said, something should be done. The game isn’t quite uninteresting to watch. But it’s a far cry from this year’s playoffs, that’s for sure.
A couple of suggestions to improve the game, or at least up the urgency: Borrow a concept from the NBA’s All-Star game and create a scoring goal for the game.
Say the first team to 35 or 40 points wins the game. The game will still operate as normal, but once a side hits 35, the game ends. That incentives the offense to actually play hard and the defense to be physical.
Alternatively, you could end a quarter once a certain point threshold had been reached.
So if the AFC got 17 points, the first quarter was done. Then, if they scored 17 in the second, that quarter would be finished. If the NFC was down 17-0 after the first period, they could score 34 in the second, 17 to catch up and 17 to hit the second quarter marker. If teams score quickly, that will end up shortening the game. So even if the game is more physical, it won’t be as long.
Super Bowl
Joe Burrow versus Matt Stafford.
The young gun against the old hand. The elite collegiate pedigree against an NFL career filled with “what ifs?”. Zac Taylor, the student, facing Sean McVay, his coaching mentor.
The storylines for this game are immense, and while this might not have been the game most people predicted before the season began, it has the makings of an excellent Super Bowl.
Burrow looked like the Offensive Rookie of the Year last season before an ACL tear ended his year. Yet Burrow came back and looks even better.
He threw for 4,611 yards and 34 TDs against just 14 INTs. And led three game-winning drives. In three playoff games, he tossed 842 yards and four scores as well as another two game-winning drives to lead Cincinnati to its first Super Bowl since 1989.
The Bengals didn’t spend high draft picks on offensive linemen, instead loading up on skill positions.
And despite taking a pounding in the postseason, that decision has worked out well for Cincy. Burrow has a plethora of wideouts to throw to, including rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who is a favorite for this season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Joe Mixon has had an excellent season and some savvy signings in free agency bolstered the defense enough to clamp down in crunch time.
On the other side, for years Stafford was a debate unto himself.
There is always an argument, should a QB be blamed for his team’s failure to win? The Lions didn’t earn a single playoff win and went infrequently during Stafford’s tenure in Detroit. On the other hand, Stafford played as hard as anyone on the Lions and had some truly amazing seasons for them.
Enter the Rams of Los Angeles.
A more stable organization, better roster and excellent offensive coaching have had Stafford and the Rams playing elite football. Stafford passed for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns while leading four game winning drives.
Not having to carry the team on his back, Stafford has worked wonders with Cooper Kupp and Tyler Higbee. His throw to prevent OT and give the Rams a win over the Bucs in the NFC Divisional round was a thing of beauty.
He also earned the first three playoff wins of his career; in his first year in L.A.
And now the Rams are back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2018, when L.A.’s offense mustered a paltry 260 yards and the Rams lost to New England. The Rams understood that with the right pieces, they could get to a Super Bowl with Jared Goff as their quarterback.
But if they wanted to win a championship, they needed an upgrade. Stafford may very well be that upgrade.
Last season, even ignoring everything else happening in the world, the Super Bowl was a letdown. Tampa Bay throttled Kansas City for most of the contest. If this game can be even half as good as 2019, when Patrick Mahomes led a last minute comeback against the 49ers, Sunday will be a very fun day indeed.
