I've got to finish this before midnight, as that's when the statute of limitations runs out on discussing SB XL. However, in watching the game tonight, and the ensuing debate about who should be named the MVP, I got to thinking...who would have been named MVP of SB XL had the Seahawks won?

Matt Hasselbeck probably would have been the safe bet, because these things usually go to the quarterback, especially if the voting is close. Hass was 26 for 49, 273 yards, with 1 touchdown and 1 int. Good numbers to be sure, but that one interception was very ill advised, and actually probably was the play that cost us the game, so that may have worked against him.

The regular season MVP had a good day too, although he didn't break the 100 yard mark on 20 carries.

Darrell Jackson came out of the gates quick, catching five passes in the first quarter, setting a new SB record for most catches in one period, but then he disappeared, not to mention the one TD catch that was nullified by his (questionable) offensive penalty. Bobby Engram had his usual workman day, catching 6 balls for 70 yards. Joe Jurevicius lead the club in yardage with 93 on 5 catches, but a lot of those came in garbage time, with the game clock winding down.

On the defensive side of the ball, Kelly Herndon might have gotten some consideration for his goal-line interception which was returned 90+ yards, setting up the only Seahawk TD in the game.

And who caught that TD?

In the coming weeks, we're going to be hearing a lot about Jerramy Stevens, seeing as he's scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent, and his Seahawks career could be graded as an incomplete. There will be those who say the Seahawks should just let him walk, and others who think he's talented enough to warrant the franchise tag.

If only Jerramy had caught a couple more of the balls thrown to him in SB XL, the perspective of the fans as he enters free agency might be different, considering he may have also let a SB MVP slip through his hands on that day.

As it was, he registered 3 catches for 25 yards and one TD. Paltry numbers, but his catches, as well as his non-catches, came at very critical times in the game. Just think if the Locklear hold wasn't called, and J-Steve's catch at the two sets up the Seahawks with the go-ahead TD? Perhaps Stevens even scores it himself on a play-action fake to the tight end, since the Steelers were bottling up the run pretty well most of the day?

I think had the Seahawks won that game, and if that final catch held up, Jerramy Stevens would have been given some MVP considerations in last year's SB.

Just something to consider before vilifying him over the next several weeks.

[Comments taken in SeahawkBlue Forums]

Labels: AlbaNYHawker, Jerramy Stevens, Seahawks, Super Bowl

I'm having a lot of trouble getting excited about this Super Bowl. It's not the nauseating thought of Prince grabbing headlines and other body parts when we should be enjoying a football game. It's not the droll Colts vs. Bears matchup, even though it's pretty unexciting to me.

It's the memories of last year, coming back to haunt me. Seeing the Seahawks outplay the Steelers, and then losing by the difference of a few screwy referee blunders still chokes me up. I refrained at the time from flaming out on the internet about it -- I was just glad the Seahawks had such a great season -- but still I had a heavy heart. Not just because of the miscarraige of justice in this game, but because of what was happening to my dear, beloved sport of NFL football.

You remember the playoffs last year, right? One disputed, pivotal, game-changing referee blunder after another. Like a teenager's prom night zit, the travesty of the Super Bowl was merely a continuance of what was becoming the abysmal but established norm. It just happened to come to a head - again - on the biggest night of these player's lives. The NFL had a bad acne problem, and no amount of wishing was going to make it clear up. They needed a ProActiv Solution to their problems, or the NFL was going to lose all credibilty.

But I'm not writing this to vent hostility about last years' Super Bowl. That would be pointless and accomplish nothing. What I did want to say is that our loss was not in vain.

Check out this bit from John Clayton:

"According to the Times, officials called 876 fewer penalties this season, an average of 3.5 fewer a game. Only 11.9 penalties were called in each
game, and the number dropped to single figures in the playoffs. Overall, that's a good thing. Fewer penalties mean more action, and it led to one of the league's most competitive seasons and clearly one of the closest playoffs in NFL history."

Have you noticed this yourself? Football is the main topic after games. It's not about the lousy refs or blown calls. Mike Peiera is not breaking down video in midweek, stammering through some horrid explanation of how they screwed up.

Football is back. The refs are letting the players play, and I love it.

But I'm still sad. Sad it had to be our team that took the brunt of the injustice. But at least it appears to have had a purpose. I just can't seem to enjoy it yet.


[Comments taken in SeahawkBlue Forums]

Labels: Bloof, Referees, Seahawks, Super Bowl