Anyone who follows me on Facebook or Twitter knows I enjoy labeling the NFL as "Goodell's League." The examples of why I feel that way are numerous; the increased penalties for incidental helmet-to-helmet contact, the exploding offensive numbers league-wide, the diminishing role of running and defense, all of these things are well documented and I need not embellish them further here. But after a superb football weekend (at least for me) where both Super Bowl finalists, the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, are not defined by traditionally "elite" quarterbacks, I'm backtracking significantly.
The proof is in the second half of both the NFC and AFC Title games. The Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots each led at halftime, but neither team, in spite of playing at home, scored a single point in the second half. Unquestionably, the defense of Baltimore and San Francisco played key roles. Tom Brady was especially off in the AFC game, throwing two interceptions late and being thoroughly outplayed by Joe Flacco. And Atlanta provided a meltdown of the highest (or should that be lowest?) order in giving up a 17-point lead and rushing for a mere 3.5 yards per carry for 81 yards.
So what does this mean? Well, the NFL is still a quarterback-driven league, and it will be for the forseeable future. But defense and rushing remain key supporting pieces. If your passing game gives you a huge lead, a solid running game can help you dominate Time of Possession, which keeps your own defense fresh. Eleven-on-eleven is obviously a team game, and a vast majority of teams who reach this point are "complete" teams. Every element blends together like a symphony. They can pass, they can run, they can tackle, and they can defend. And that's why this particular matchup is so exciting to me. It feels fresh and new; not a re-tread of something we've already seen. Yes, we have seen the "Harbaugh Bowl" before, but that was a 2011 regular season game where both teams played on four days rest, and Baltimore won 16-6. Here, a two-week buildup means we'll see something far more aesthetically pleasing.
Given my ties to Baltimore, I'm unquestionably rooting for the Ravens. But a 49ers win would not have me sulking in anger. The two most dominant stories leading up to this year's Super Bowl are clearly (1) the "Harbaugh vs Harbaugh" matchup and (2) middle linebacker extraordinaire Ray Lewis' final game, and yes, they will be covered and covered and covered until you can't take it anymore. But I'd gladly take that over a matchup that is 99% about the quarterbacks' legacies and precious little else. That, more than anything else, is why I'm backing off of my "Goodell's League" diatribe. After all, if all you need to win is an elite, fantasy-stud QB with an encyclopedia of big-game experience and a truckload of commercials, the 49ers and Ravens would've been eliminated a long time ago.
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