The beginning of the end

SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY! BE PREPARED TO WITNESS DEATH DEFYING DEFENSE. BE READY TO SEE TWO GREAT QUARTERBACKS SHOW THE  TWO YOUNG GUYS HOW STEAM ROLL THE COMPETITION. DOESN’T MATTER WHERE YOU WATCH IT, JUST BE THERE. This may be a little dramatic but after really thinking about these two games, Sunday could be something for the ages (pun intended). Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are set to lead their teams for the 15th time at a combined age of 73. Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson are also set to play Sunday, meeting for the third time at a combined age of 51.What does this have to do with the game? Well let’s go deep.

Mr. Brady and Mr. Manning are both first round hall of famers. Now, if you want to discuss who is better, you're talking about 1a. and 1b. if you’re a statistical type of person you may lean towards Mr. Manning, but if you’re the type of person that thinks Kobe Bryant is greater than Lebron James based on the number of rings he has, then you might lean towards Mr. Brady. But in the end it means nothing. These games mean nothing for their legacy. That was solidified a little while ago. Does that mean these two slowed down? No, they wouldn’t be great if they did. They're playing for a ring. It doesn’t matter how many they have, they want this one. And that’s what makes this game even better. But there is something more to it. We are watching the end of an era. These two great quarterbacks at 36, an 37 are coming to the end of their careers. After almost 16 battles this may be the last one between these two goliath quarterbacks. It's understood that quarterbacks don’t play each other, but when these two are on the field across from each other it doesn’t matter who your favorite team is, you are excited for this game.

We are at the end of an era that is ready and set for the next one. Sports usually has a major run then a lul. You could say that steroids brought baseball out of theirs. But the NFL is ready for the next step, the running quarterback. In the not so distant past, running quarterbacks were a gimmick. Until general mangers started realizing these athletic guys could be pass first players and have the football I.Q. to adjust, and possibly scramble on broken plays. Thus, two great examples of that are Mr. Kaepernick, and Mr. Wilson. At 25, and 26 they are at the beginning of the new era of quarterbacks. They haven’t been successful by themselves, however. What helps a young quarertback? A great defense and the run game. Who do these two have? Marshawn Lynch, and Frank Gore. These two are elites. Mr. Lynch who was left on the scrap heap after playing for the Buffalo Bills has reemerged in his career, pretty much making his own difficulty level for NFL’s madden “BEAST MODE”.  Mr. Gore, after a major injury in college has been very consistent in his production with the 49ers his whole career.  Mix in the “Legion of Boom”,  Seattle’s hard-hitting defense, and the Patrick Willis led, top ranked defense, you have a recipe for success.

What does all this mean for these two games? It means we’ve come to a juncture in football that doesn’t happen often. Two Hall of Famers are playing, and two elite young players posed to make more runs like this one for the Super Bowl. We get to witness possibly the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. A rivalry that is just starting to blossom while two old giants just keeps swinging until one drops to a knee. The 49ers-Seattle game is going to have athleticism, hard nose defense and just exciting plays that will show how the game has evolved and how exciting it can be for the more casual fan. But the Patriots and Broncos will play the same old game in a different NFL. These are two pocket quarterbacks willing to setup the run with the pass, and even then, pass a little more. The score could be 74-41 or 3-2 by the end. No matter what the score or where you watch, you know when they walk off the field no two quarterbacks today could have done it better.