Oh, what a divisional weekend. This round of the NFL playoffs featured quite possibly the greatest throw in NFL history, and the greatest finish in NFL history.
Brady was Brady, Big Ben and Peyton actually looked better than what we were expecting, the Panthers showed up for one half then fell asleep the next half, and the Seahawks almost pulled off the late game magic yet again.
I still haven’t wrapped my mind around what happened this past weekend, especially in Arizona. Honestly it was one of the best football weekends that I have ever witnessed.
Here are my top five takeaways (and trust me I could have had that many on the Packers-Cardinals game alone).
Top Takeaways from Divisional Weekend
1. Destiny in the Desert?
I was at this game, and believe me I almost had a heart attack multiple times.
As a Cardinals fan, I am concerned about Carson Palmer’s play, and frankly I am concerned about the offense as a whole after this game and the Seattle game.
However, all that the fans and the people that watched this game care about is that Palmer got it done when it mattered most.
He might have looked tight and reckless all night, and understandably so given what was on the line for the 36-year-old veteran. As bad as Andy Dalton has been in the playoffs, coming into this game Palmer had never won a game in the playoffs.
With Palmer on his last drop of energy, I think the playoff doubters gave him the motivation to lead his team to victory, and that to me is what stands out about the Cardinals season as a whole but in particular Palmer’s career year: the will to win even if it’s ugly.
Everybody is going to and has already given the credit for the pass play in overtime that set up the game winning shovel pass to Larry Fitzgerald, and quite frankly Fitzgerald does deserve about 52.2% of the credit.
The fact that the Cardinals survived, for the most part, a bad Palmer game, and a completely absent running game and still won this one even after two ridiculous hail mary passes on the same drive from one of the greatest quarterbacks of our generation, Aaron Rodgers just shows what kind of team the Cardinals are.
That is what separates them, and while most analysts will talk about how bad they played for three quarters and a half, and how tough it is going to be to go into Carolina and play a Panthers team that hasn’t lost at home in 427 days and pounces on teams that aren’t at their peak level of performance, the Cardinals in my mind are the better team and have the edge.
Destiny is what is needed to win the Super Bowl, and the Cardinals have that. I live in this state and I have talked to all the players. Trust me when I say this folks.
Something special is happening in Arizona, and I don’t know if anything can stop them.
2. I am Far More Concerned with other Parts of the Cardinals
While I still believe this team has a great chance to go all the way and win the Super Bowl, if some key areas of the team play like they did against Seattle and Green Bay, the Cardinals are going to be in real trouble real quick on the road against Cam Newton and the Panthers.
Many will point to how bad Carson Palmer has looked as of late, but for me the buck stops with the big guys on the line of scrimmage. To win any football game you have to win the battle in the trenches and the Cardinals haven’t been doing that. The offensive line has been great all year until the last two games where they have gotten completely destroyed at the point of attack losing individual battles, not creating running holes, and letting pass rushers get a clear lane to Palmer.
One thing I have noticed about the last two games in particular compared to the rest of the season is Carson Palmer’s rushed footwork and throwing motion. In many respects, it has contributed the most towards what the coaching staff calls conservative play and play calling and what I call up tight and too aggressive.
Granted Palmer could learn to throw the ball away when nothing is there, but the offensive line has to create running lanes and protect Palmer. For the majority of the year the Cardinals offense has been elite and balanced and it’s because the offensive line has gotten the job done. They need to get back to that level of play.
Up until the last five minutes of the game, the defensive line wasn’t getting any pressure on Rodgers and letting him have all the time in the world to find open men, complete throws downfield, and make second, third, and sometimes fourth reads. That can’t happen against Cam Newton for obvious reasons.
Finally, the inability to run the ball is concerning because it makes the Cards offense rely to much on Palmer. This problem starts with poor play-calling. There were far to many runs up the middle and all of them were getting stopped. The Cards need to experiment and run side to side routes to confuse the defense, and keep Carolina off balance. If they don’t the Cards are going to have a long day against one of the better run defenses in the NFL.
3. Cam Newton a Lock For MVP? Hold on till the end of the weekend.
I know many of you will laugh at me for even daring to write this statement, but this is what I believe.
I know the MVP of the NFL is a regular season award, and many of the experts including the Pro Football Writers Association of America for that reason have already declared Cam Newton the winner.
Look, I respect their argument. No player has had more of an impact on their team on the offensive side of the football than Newton. He threw for 3,837 yards with a 59.8 percent completion percentage, 35 passing touchdowns and 10 more on the ground. Nobody can stop his 6’4″ frame.
With that being said, Newton and the Panthers choked in the second half against Seattle last week, and this race is closer than most people think.
Tom Brady is having a career year with many saying he is now the greatest ever, and he is playing at the top of his game right now. Meanwhile, Palmer has had a career year in Arizona leading the Cardinals to a division title, and the NFC Championship game.
If Palmer beats Newton in the NFC Championship game and Tom Brady gets to the Super Bowl, I think Palmer and Brady should be the favorites.
Many will say that the postseason doesn’t matter, but in my mind real MVPs will their team to wins when it matters most.
4. Peyton Manning had One of his Best Performances in his Legendary Career on Sunday.
222 yards on 37 attempts.
On paper that isn’t anywhere close to a vintage Peyton Manning performance. At this point, we couldn’t have expected that from Manning, and quite frankly I expected him to play poorly given his physical limitations and his lack of starters reps in recent weeks and months.
For that reason and more, Manning’s performance on Sunday against the Steelers will go down in my mind as one of his best performances on a football field.
Manning was smart and read the Steelers defense perfectly. He avoided the big mistake, and took care of the football.
Manning actually threw the football really well, and showed great pocket awareness, footwork, and the ability to throw the ball inside the numbers.
It doesn’t matter if Manning can’t make all the throws anymore. Having him at quarterback and in charge of the offense makes this team better. His leadership is irreplaceable, his ability to dissect defenses has never been seen before in NFL history, and at the end of the day he might be the best game manager in the league.
This is just one example: On a third and 12 with 8:37 left trying to come back at home, Manning made the correct read connecting with Bennie Fowler on a seam pass up the middle of the field for a 31-yard gain. That was the biggest throw of the game and he executed it to perfection.
Manning also is way better for the Broncos run game who carried the offense most of the time. That is the reality of the present Broncos offense and that formula is working.
Manning proved he can still get it done, and with a 17th meeting with Brady coming, there is no reason why Denver should be going back to Brock Osweiler.
5. The Panthers Can’t Close Games and that is a Major Issue
The Panthers near second half collapse after having a 31 point lead entering the locker room after the second quarter is nothing new this season.
That is a major issue that should not be taken lightly when looking at their match-up with the Cardinals.
After blowing leads against the Colts, Packers, and Giants earlier this season, they needed an onside kick to keep the Seahawks from providing the same familiar ending in the final minute.
This team has had this mindset too many times this season, so the idea that this is a one time thing that nobody should be concerned about because the Panthers are so good is completely wrong.
This is especially the case when you consider Carolina is playing a team that can score at will against any defense at any time.
The Cardinals fight for four quarters and find ways to win. Last week, the Panthers found a way to win, but they didn’t play quality football for four quarters, and that should make Panthers fans worried.
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