Hoping on a Ghost

After I found the offensive line free agents not worth a look I will turn to the skill (sorry linemen, but that is what they call them) positions to see if an upgrade is out there.

The Real Ghost Jordy Nelson

Wide Receivers: Not a single starter had a good season, including the Ghost of Seasons Past Jordy Nelson.

With Nelson missing the entire season Randall Cobb was the leading receiver (79-829-6TD), but he averaged only 10.3 yards a catch. James Jones was a season saver averaging 17.8 yards a catch with 8 TDs (50-890), but he hit the wall and unless he is signed to a veteran's minimum he shouldn't be asked back.

FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS, PART QUINCE

(click on your computer's SAP app to find out which PART this is)

SUBLIME

This Old Dog Beat The Young Pup

Super Bowl 50 featured "Superman", who all the pundits were calling the best quarterback in the game today - see what happens Aaron Rodgers when you give up that mantle - and "The Sheriff", who was called the worst quarterback to start a Super Bowl by FoxSports - who we know is the bastion of truth, justice and the American Way.

When the dust settled Peyton "The Sheriff" Manning was standing on the podium with the Lombardi Trophy while Cam "Superman" Newton was doing his best Marshawn Lynch and Bill Belichick impressions answering - and I say that while laughing out loud - questions before abruptly getting up and ending the post-game interviews in mid-question showing the real Cam Newton and not the fake modest Cam Newton who answered question after question after question even though it did get tedious and he said so during the week before the game.

Super Bowl Prediction and Hall of Fame Thoughts

Superman Cam

The smart money is on the Carolina Panthers to win Super Bowl 50. If I was actually putting money down I would have to back the Panthers even though I don't like Cam Newton.

However, Super Bowl 50 has a Super Bowl III feel to me, if not to anyone else in punditry or the rest of the civilized world for that matter. The last line I've seen has the Panthers favored by 5.5 points and not many people are picking the Broncos.

For those of you born after 1980 the Packers had won the first two Super Bowls pretty handily and the Baltimore Colts (yes, there was a team in Baltimore before the Browns moved in the middle of the night to become the Ravens) were the Panthers of 1968-69 going 13-1 behind backup quarterback Earl Morrall, who had taken over for the legendary future Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas, who had injured his passing arm in the preseason.

The End of an Era

Sunday marks the end of an era, the Peyton Manning era. I know this has nothing to do with the Packers, but just as we were lucky to have witnessed the career of Brett Favre up close and personal we are also lucky to have been alive while Manning was in his prime. Love him or hate him or somewhere in between Manning is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time hands down.

Peyton Manning on the Sidelines and Nearing the End

Sunday when the Broncos play the Chargers for the first time since Manning was a freshman at Tennessee in 1994 he will be active for a game and not be behind center on the first play snapping his starting streak at 334 games including post-season games.

Please Say It Isn't So

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Rocky Mountain High

Can't Catch a Break

Ted Thompson must have pissed off the big man (and I don't mean Bill Belichick) because every time one of Thompson's famous "next man ups" steps forward he get hurt.

James Starks comes up lame

After Eddie Lacy forgot how to run James Starks stepped into the breach two weeks ago and gained 112 yards against the Chargers. He comes back from the bye week off and suddenly he has a hip injury. He is listed as questionable.

Damarious Randall makes the play of the year to save the Chargers game and he suddenly comes up with an ankle injury and is listed as questionable.

Peyton Manning

An interesting scenario seems to be forming along the corridor between Mile High Stadium and Soldier Field.
 

Over the weekend quarterback Peyton Manning was reported to have told John Elway that he was healthy and willing to return to the Broncos for another season.

(US Presswire)

 It wasn't a surprise to me. I said all along that Manning was going to return whether or not he was on one leg and possessed half a throwing arm. Manning is all about "me" and that means records and he wants to retire the holder of every passing record, which would mean breaking all of Brett Favre's records.

 

He broke Favre's record for touchdown passes this past season (530 to 508) and will break the yardage record (needing 2,148 yards and he will do that easily in the first eight games) next season. So reason one to return.

 

Now I will digress for a rant. There are two people that gripe my butt as far as breaking records. No. 1 A pretender like A. J. Hawk breaking a truly great outside linebacker John Anderson's Packer record for tackles. More on that later. No. 2 Peyton Manning break the touchdown passes record.