The XLI Wrap Up

Thanks more so to his team’s defense and running game, Peyton Manning has shed the tag of not being able to win the big game at Super Bowl XLI. Manning also took home the Pete Rozelle trophy for the MVP of the big game which is fairly undeserved; an outcome that at least one clever blogger predicted (read: I called it).

I was wrong about one prediction for sure; Rex Grossman was an absolute liability for Chicago. Fumbling the snap on two occasions and lobbing passes at opposing safeties and corners are two ways to lose any game for your team, especially the Super Bowl.

Heading into the off-season (after the Pro Bowl next Sunday, that is), each team now has important questions that will need to be answered. In Indianapolis, there is talk that Tony Dungy may retire since he’s now won the big game. There will also be speculation along the lines of where Peyton Manning will go from here sans monkey on his back. For Chicago it will be a long off-season for Rex Grossman who’s going to come under even more fire than he already is enduring. Both Thomas Jones and Lance Briggs, two key members of the Bears could land on different squads. Defensive Co-coordinator Ron Rivera is also meeting with Jerry Jones about possibly coaching Dallas next season.

The one real question I’m going to be wondering until next season isn’t about personnel or coaching changes; what’s on my head is what am I going to do with my Sunday afternoons? I’ve seemingly taken NFL-filled Sundays for granted. It looks like I’m going to be in the market for a hobby starting after the Pro Bowl wraps up next week. Maybe my beloved can send me into this void with a win; I can only hope.