“Revenge” isn’t the right word, as 43-8 is still forever etched in the annals of NFL history. And “avenge” isn’t quite on the mark, either, as the Broncos weren’t there in person to right a wrong themselves.
But there was something liberating about Super Bowl XLIX. Something about the Patriots 28-24 victory over the Seahawks felt as though at least some demons were exorcised in the city of Denver.
For whatever reason, and perhaps it was nothing more than scorned fans being petty, it felt great to watch New England knock off Seattle on Sunday. Yes, it was Bill Belichick and Tom Brady getting another ring; but at least they forced Pete Carroll, Richard Sherman and the rest of the yahoos from the Pacific Northwest to finally stick a sock in it.
At least, that’s the feeling on the surface. That’s how Broncos fans went to bed last night with a smile on their face, having earned some measure of satisfaction in seeing the team that celebrated last year at their expense go through the heartbreak of a Super Bowl loss this time around.
But a deeper look at things, a true introspection, would suggest that the Patriots victory provided Broncos fans with much more. In reality, it gave them everything that their team failed to provide 365 years ago today – and that has nothing to do with the final score.
Sure, New England got the win; hoisting the Lombardi Trophy will make anyone feel good about things. But in the pursuit of victory, the Broncos most-hated rival did everything that Denver was unable to do themselves, giving fans of the orange and blue a weird opportunity to live vicariously through players and coaches that they typically despise.
But if everyone in the Mile High City was honest today, they’d admit to wishing the Broncos were like the Patriots; they’d say without a shadow of a doubt that they’d have loved for their team to show up and battle in the big game the way New England did on Sunday.
In the end, the result of Super Bowl XLIX was a condemnation on the Broncos coaches and players, the collective crew that let last year’s game get out of hand. Because as Brady and Company proved yesterday, Seattle is beatable.
For New England, that all started with believing they could get the job done. They were willing to stand up to the trash-talking bully, take their best bunch and come back for more.
Last year, the Broncos crumbled as soon as the Seahawks hit them in the mouth. Almost from the outset, they wanted nothing to do with the way Seattle planned on playing that game.
In the Meadowlands, Denver looked like an opponent stepping into the ring against Mike Tyson; they were beat before the bell was ever rung. And that’s a mindset they carried over into this season.
This week, while making the rounds at radio row prior to the Super Bowl, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas reiterated that fact. When asked what went wrong against the Colts in the playoffs, one of the Broncos best players admitted that they team didn’t like the obstacle that was on the horizon.
“You had guys always talking the night before the game, ‘Oh, I don’t want to go to New England,’” the free-agent wideout told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, admitting that the Broncos wanted nothing to do with a trip to Foxboro for the AFC title game. “That was one of the big things.”
The Broncos folded against the Colts in part because they were afraid to face the Patriots the next week. That lay-down mentality was on full display last year against the Seahawks, when Denver simply crumbled as soon as Seattle came out throwing haymakers.
But the Patriots didn’t react that way. Instead, they stood in there, took everything the Seahawks had to offer and fired back. They weren’t intimidated. They didn’t curl up in the corner in the fetal position. And they didn’t quit. Down 24-14 in the fourth quarter against one of the best defenses in NFL history, New England found a way to fight back, posting the largest second-half comeback in Super Bowl history.
Broncos fans only wish that their team had seen that type of resolve last season.
That type of moxie isn’t the only thing worthy of envy, however. The way the Patriots coaching staff handled the game was also a thing of brilliance, something that people in Denver could only hope to get out of John Fox and Company.
Heading into the Super Bowl, the Patriots hoped to run the ball down the Seahawks throats; as Cris Collinsworth pointed out in the first half, New England was counting on giving the ball to LeGarrette Blount 30 to 35 times during the course of the game. That was their formula for victory, grinding it out with their big running back.
By game’s end, Blount had a grand total of 40 yards on 14 carries. But that lack of production didn’t stop the Pats; instead, they found a way to improvise, adapt and overcome.
With the running game stymied, the task of keeping the chains moving fell upon Brady. And the future Hall of Fame quarterback answered the bell, completing 37 of 50 passes for 328 yards.
Prior to kickoff, the notion of New England having to throw the ball 50 times in the game would have resulted in a unanimous chorus about the Patriots ultimate demise. But that’s what was working as the game unfolded, so the champs took what was available and rolled with it.
Broncos fans only wish that their team’s coaching staff had that ability to adapt a season ago.
But X’s and O’s only go so far. In the end, it all comes down to the players; someone has to step up and make a play when the game is on the line.
Last year, nobody did that for the Broncos. Prior to the game getting totally out of control, there wasn’t a single player on Denver’s roster who rose to the occasion to turn the tide. On offense, defense and special teams, it was a complete failure by everyone in orange and blue.
Yesterday, however, the Patriots found a hero. With the game on the line, as the Seahawks were poised to take the lead in the final minute of regulation, Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson at the goal line to seal the victory for New England.
A play by a relatively unknown guy on the roster allowed Tom Brady to win his third Super Bowl MVP trophy. Someone stepping up at the biggest possible moment provided Bill Belichick with his fourth championship ring as a head coach.
That’s the epitome of team sports. If not for Butler, Brady’s mastery in the fourth quarter goes for naught. If not for a no-name defensive back, Belichick’s coaching prowess falls short again.
Broncos fans only wish someone had stepped up last year to make a play that could have turned the tide.
That’s why yesterday felt good in Denver. It wasn’t because anyone was rooting for New England; that’s like cheering for the evil empire. Instead, it was about showing that the bully could be knocked down, game plans do matter and unsung heroes still exist.
While it would have been great to see those things one year ago today, it at least provided some solace to see it on Sunday. Even if it was the hated Patriots getting the job done.
