ken barber Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 With the NFL Conference Championship Games this Sunday the real football fanatics are working themselves into a frenzy. This is it, two of these final four teams will make it to the superbowl and only one will emerge victorious. There Can Be Only One. Here is a quick break down of the team building strategy the final four have used over the years. Super Bowl contenders do not emerge overnight. There's also no specific blueprint for how to build a title-worthy roster. Some teams, like the Packers, prefer to build almost exclusively through the draft. Others, like the Bill Belichick-led Patriots, are more aggressive in attempting to pluck value off the free-agent or trade market. "A lot of people throughout the league are looking for the same thing," Seahawks GM John Schneider, the architect of last season's champion, told the Kansas City Star. "A lot of people like big corners, big receivers … probably the most common theme is it never stops. You’re constantly searching for the next thing, trying to improve in every aspect of what you’re doing." So how did the four remaining teams in this year's playoffs get to where they are? In each case, they were able to mix high-priced stars with productive, cheaper personnel. Here, we take a look back at one "star" and one "steal" the Packers, Seahawks, Colts and Patriots were able to acquire -- or to keep -- during the 2014 offseason. Green Bay Packers The Star: Julius Peppers (free agent) The Steal: Corey Linsley (draft, Round 5) For starters, yes, Peppers did have a little left in the tank after shifting NFC North locales, from Chicago to Green Bay. The three-year, $26 million deal it took to land Peppers appeared hefty on first glance, but it was not nearly as cumbersome in reality (as is usually the case with NFL contracts) -- only Peppers' $7.5 million signing bonus was guaranteed. He has been worth the cost this season. The veteran pass-rusher quickly acclimated to his new role as an "elephant" in the Packers' defense, and he has been irreplaceable down the stretch. In Sunday's win over Dallas, Peppers produced an early sack and may have helped save his team's season with a brilliant forced fumble on DeMarco Murray. Linsley arguably as been just as important to the Green Bay offense as Peppers has to the defense. A fifth-round pick in the 2014 draft, Linsley was penciled in behind JC Tretter into the preseason. Then Tretter suffered a knee injury in mid-August, forcing Linsley into the starting lineup. He never left, playing more snaps (1,072) than any other Packer this season. "At some point, there needs to be a little bit of campaigning about him for Pro Bowl, I think," QB Aaron Rodgers said on his weekly radio show in November. "He's played that good. He doesn't have the name recognition yet. A lot of times, you get voted in a year after you deserve to and maybe a year longer than you deserve to, but Corey's been so solid at center for us." Seattle Seahawks The Star: Michael Bennett (re-signed) The Steal: Kevin Williams (free agent) In what was a perplexing development at the time, Bennett found himself lacking many suitors when he hit free agency prior to the 2013 season. The Seahawks eventually handed him a one-year, $5 million deal. And Bennett rewarded them, several times over. First, he played an integral role in their Super Bowl-winning squad, registering 8.5 sacks during the regular season and another 1.5 en route in the postseason. Bennett later reportedly passed up more money elsewhere to stay in Seattle for 2014 and beyond. He still made out well, at four years and $28.5 million with $16 million guaranteed. The Seahawks are not complaining, either. "He can play end and he can play tackle. He can rush from anywhere on the field," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "He’s been a really instrumental player for us in the last couple of years. Without him we would not be the same." Williams arrived in Seattle under similar circumstances, having even considered retirement as he looked for a new home. The Seahawks eventually ponied up $2.1 million for a one-year deal, which in hindsight looks like a bargain. A rotational piece for much of the year, Williams' value heightened after Brandon Mebane landed on IR with a hamstring injury. When that occurred, Seattle asked Williams to slide inside to an unfamiliar nose tackle spot. He barely missed a beat in anchoring what would wind up as the league's No. 2-ranked rush defense. Indianapolis Colts The Star: Vontae Davis (re-signed) The Steal: D'Qwell Jackson (free agent) Lest anyone still need evidence why the Colts coughed up $20 million guaranteed on a four-year deal for Davis last offseason, look no further than how much their secondary struggled when Davis was out of the lineup. The 26-year-old, whom Indianapolis acquired by sending a second-round pick to Miami in 2012, has developed into a premier cornerback. Pro Football Focus had Davis holding opposing QBs to a lower rating on passes thrown his direction (38.3) than any other starting cornerback. Davis has four INTs and seven pass break-ups this season, numbers that would be higher if teams did not avoid him so frequently. "I feel like he’s one of the best in the game," teammate Sergio Brown told the Colts' website. "He’s very physical. He’s a great one-on-one presence. It’s like you don’t have to worry as much if Vontae is on your side. He lets you worry about other things other than what he’s doing because you figure he’s locked down already." The metrics may not have been as kind to Jackson -- PFF ranked him as the Colts' third least-effective defender, just ahead of Arthur Jones and Greg Toler. It's impossible to ignore his impact, though, both as a prolific tackler (140 during the regular season) and as a veteran presence on a rather young Colts' defense. Jackson also turned in a career-high four sacks, no small feat for an Indianapolis team that often struggled to find a consistent pass rush. As has come to be the norm, Jackson was the team's leading tackler in its divisional-round win over Denver, racking up 10 on the day. New England Patriots The Star: Darrelle Revis (free agent) The Steal: Brandon LaFell (free agent) Sort of a strange trip to this point for Revis, whose spot as a dominant cornerback has been reaffirmed in New England after a couple of rough seasons: Revis tore his ACL with the Jets in 2012, then was a complete mismatch for Tampa Bay's defensive scheme in 2013. The Patriots pounced on him last offseason, even allowing Aqib Talib to walk so they could deliver $12 million to Revis in what's in essence a one-year contract. (Revis is signed through 2015 but a $12.5 million roster bonus due April 1 all but guarantees New England will attempt to restructure and extend that deal.) Revis played arguably his most uneven game of the season last week vs. Baltimore. That outing aside, however, the veteran earned his recently announced Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods. "He's a phenomenal player and I've loved playing with him," Tom Brady said at a December press conference. "I've hated playing against him, and I've had my fair share of those opportunities. He's a great teammate. He's a phenomenal player. "I think the thing that I'm so impressed with is his coverage skills without getting penalties. [Revis was flagged twice Saturday.] That's a rare thing to be backpedaling when the guys who are some of the best athletes in the world are running at you as fast as they can with the size and speed of the way the receivers are, and to be able to cover those guys like he does is pretty amazing." Brady has been just as effusive in his praise for LaFell, earlier this week calling his wide receiver "the toughest guy I've ever played with" during a radio interview. At three years and $9 million, LaFell has provided an all-important third option in the passing game, alongside Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski. His 119 targets, 74 catches and 953 yards landed him third on the team behind that Edelman-Gronkowski tandem, and he hauled in seven TD passes. Not bad given his career-best marks entering his Patriots' debut: 85 targets, 49 receptions, 627 yards and five touchdowns. Mark C. and D'Artagnon 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Ken, this is an awesome analysis... Thank you... I know who I want to be sitting next to while watching the Super Bowl! ken barber 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rilbur Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Oh hell. I need to prepare my fortification agains... that dreaded day is coming. What hte hell is with this nation and bowling? ChrisTheBlizzard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Artagnon Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 As long as there's plenty of cheese dip and ice cream, I don't much care what bowl it's in. Well, as long as it's not a toilet bowl. ken barber, Jack Schaeffer, ChrisTheBlizzard and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Ice cream! What is your favorite flavor, D'Artagnon? Mine would probably be some kind of intense chocolate.... Can't have too much chocolate, grin.... The cheese dip has to be accompanied by the best chips though.. Salty, light, crisp.. Yumm.... ken barber 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rilbur Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Favorite ice cream flavor? Whiskey-caramel vanilla. Mark C. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken barber Posted January 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 This is football not food people.....ICE Creammmmmmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Ken, about football.. If the Patriots win the Super Bowl, I will send you salmon and halibut. If the Seahawks win, you send me lobsters! Oh wait, I'm in middle of the Arizona desert, 1,000 miles from salmon and halibut. Nix the bet, grin..... ken barber 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Of course, two other teams might have a say who is in the Super Bowl..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken barber Posted January 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Of course, two other teams might have a say who is in the Super Bowl..... Nonsense Mark C. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken barber Posted January 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 AFC and NFC Conference Championship picks Seattle Seahawks 24 Green Bay Packers 17 Game time 3:05 PM (EST) In Seattle If the Packers want to win, Green Bay must establish the run. Don't make this an Aaron Rodgers limp-fest, as brilliant as he is. Make Kam Chancellor play close to the line, thus creating a situation in which Earl Thomas is essentially going single-high. Of course, Thomas is capable of covering plenty of ground, and the Seattle front seven might be good enough to stop Lacy without too much help from Chancellor in run support. The bottom line is, Rodgers doesn't care who the safety is; when he sees just one back there, he'll fearlessly take his shots. And he will fearlessly hold the ball until the last second. That resulted in eight sacks when these two clubs met in the "Fail Mary" game two years ago. It also resulted in a strip-sack that turned into a safety on kickoff night this season. Rodgers doesn't care. He has tremendous trust in his ability and his supporting cast. On that note, Randall Cobb could cause Seattle trouble out of the slot. I also expect the ball to go to tight end Andrew Quarless in the red zone. As noted above, the Seahawks gave up plenty of touchdowns to tight ends this year. Antonio Gates, anyone? New England Patriots 30 Indianapolis Colts 23 Game Time 6:40 pm (EST) In New England Somewhere, perhaps lodged in a hairball straight from Andrew Luck's beard, lies the blueprint for beating the Patriots. Of course, not even Luck's facial hair, which has gone from an Abe Lincoln special to straight-up Grizzly Adams, can distract from his blemished lifetime record against New England: 0-3. Ultimately, I think Belichick and Co. play this game relatively straight, with a little more LeGarrette Blount sprinkled in than there was in last week's win over the Ravens. And the Patriots will make the bearded kid work to try to beat their coverage without the gimmes that unsuccessful blitzes bring. New England's Discipline and focus is legendary as well as their offensive playbook being considered one of the most complicated on NFL history. Indy has a tough defense but are there prepared for the arsenal of plays Tom Brady has at his command. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken barber Posted January 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 45 minutes until kick off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denis_p Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 seahawks... Seahawks... SEAHAWKS... REPEAT... REPEAT... REPEAT!!! GO SEAHAWKS!!! ChrisTheBlizzard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken barber Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 ChrisTheBlizzard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Artagnon Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 I saw this one, was a bit dubious about the date, since in the story it mentions Tuesday but the game was only last Sunday. Still here it is. http://www.patriots.com/news/article-1/Vince-Wilfork-pulls-woman-from-overturned-vehicle/3be3295d-aee2-4055-9726-21a570b3be08 Mark C. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 D'Artagnon, going to have enough cheese dip and ice cream for the game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken barber Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 read the article and the day is off but its still cool. double checked and here is verification from another articlehttp://www.foxnews.com/sports/2015/01/19/patriots-player-vince-wilfork-helps-rescue-crash-victim-after-afc-win/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Artagnon Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 i have two weeks to stockpile cheese dip and icecreams. That is if I don't eat it all reading "And Justice For All" mini-series this week. CHECK IT OUT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Got you beat... Just had a huge bowl of chocolate ice cream while reading the first chapter... Then ending made me reach for a chocolate, chocolate chip cookie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken barber Posted January 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 GRONK'S ANSWER TO DEFLATED BALLGATE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 To misquote Shakespeare, "methinks the club doth protest too much", grin.... Where there is smoke... of course, the good part about all this deflated football stuff is the opportunity to tweak Ken. Priceless... . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Artagnon Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 i have several questions about this deflation interrogation. Were the balls the Colts provided tested as well? Why doesn't the NFL, with their vast resources and "commitment to fairness and integrity" provide the balls and maintain "chain of custody" over them during the whole game? Seems kinda stupid to make the teams bring their own. Was the temperature of the balls and the game time conditions taken into consideration? And most importantly of all, doesn't it seem odd that these measurements come up questionable days after the game? Are we completely sure the balls are the same ones used in the game? Lastly, isn't it odd that the team that lost has already had one member come forward to say that the balls weren't a factor in their loss, that they played horribly? Don't see the controversy. For the record, I am a DIE HARD Patriots fan, always have been, even when they sucked (We believe in you St. Steve Grogan). Looks a lot like people trying to cry foul over old allegations. Let me put all questions to rest. Colts lost, by a lot. They played horribly, they themselves admit it. I like the Seahawks, but I have to side with my boys. Let's save the speculation for the game itself. And then we shall see. GO PATS!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Why don't the refs and their organization just be responsible for the footballs and eliminate all this? There, problem solved. (But then what we kid Ken about next??) D'Artagnon and Benji 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken barber Posted January 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 OK Holding a press conference on deflate gate. This man was chosen as the Patriots Fan spokesperson. D'Artagnon and Mark C. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 Ken must have been too busy that day to be the spokesman, grin... The way he loves the Pats, he would make a good one.... D'Artagnon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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