Gary Seymour, sports@wolfrivermedia.com
Cam Newton hadn’t even sulked out of the Super Bowl postgame press conference when the odds on next year’s Super Bowl were already released.
If you’d like to beat the rush and get your wager in before next autumn, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots are the early co-favorites to win Super Bowl LI.
The Steelers, Seahawks and Patriots came in at 8-1. Last year’s preseason favorite, the Green Bay Packers, are installed at 10-1.
There was also speculation about whether Denver’s 24-10 win over Carolina in Super Bowl 50 would be the last stand for Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning.
No odds listed for that one, though, which was the biggest laugh of all. We’re about as likely to see Archie Manning playing quarterback next season.
Peyton Manning said he will need some time to reflect on whether he will retire after this, his 18th NFL season.
Why he would play it coy at this stage is odd. He stuck around long enough to have broken just about every passing record in the book, which he accomplished. His Broncos knocked off New England and nemesis Tom Brady in these playoffs.
He has achieved everything statistically that he possibly could, including breaking the all-time yards passing mark. But in that milestone game, where he passed the Packers’ Brett Favre, Manning had a passer rating of 0.0 – a flagrant reminder that his better days were long past.
Naturally, there were setbacks to go along with all of the success. There were 13 postseason losses, and the unseemly defeats he suffered at the hands of the University of Tennessee female trainer who sued him for sexual harassment twice, and received a hefty settlement, twice.
Between Peyton Manning and his brother Eli, there are four Super Bowl rings now in the family, two for each bro. Easygoing Peyton Manning isn’t likely to get a big head over it, though. If he gets a big head, it’s because of the human growth hormones he took to expedite his rehab from neck surgery — or so goes a published report that the NFL said it would investigate.
Manning’s detractors joked about his need of deflating his head back down to playing specifications.
Regardless of how aggressively that investigation is done or how it shakes out – don’t hold your breath waiting for the hammer to come down on Peyton — it’s obvious that Denver won Super Bowl 50 on the strength of its dominant defense. This was a break in routine for the Broncos at the Super Bowl, where their defense over the years has been a drive-through window, their four losses coming by scores of 27-10, 42-10, 55-10 and 43-8.
Manning played a credible, if unspectacular game Sunday. With the defense performing at a level that required just 11 points to win, it’s likely that the Broncos would have got it done with Brock Osweiler calling signals. Denver probably could have dragged Norris Weese out of bed, suited him up and still won this one.
As for Newton, he sailed through the regular season as Good Time Charley, a breath of fresh air, playing winning football and having the time of his life.
The Carolina quarterback earned the MVP trophy that he will be awarded, but when the time came to face the music after the loss, he took a powder, leaving the podium prematurely, lower lip fully extruded. Note to Newton: An MVP mope is unbecoming.
Panthers fans probably would have liked to see Newton moving as fast to pick up a fumble that he didn’t appear to have much interest in recovering. He probably could have taken a little something off the cannon shots he was firing to his receivers, too.
It wasn’t Newton’s night or Carolina’s night. It was Denver’s night; it was Denver’s year.
Congrats on a great career, Mr. Manning – now please take your aging pus arm, your check-offs, your endorsement deals and go.