Mile High Monday: Thoughts from a less-than-super Super Bowl

The Super Bowl was not so very super. While I don’t think it was a bad game, per se, I do think it failed to meet the expectations that most had for the matchup going in.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV over the Kansas City Chiefs by a whopping score of 31-9. The game wasn’t close and seemed to get out of hand late in the contest, but that’s the conclusion we get to a weird regular season.

I like when the postseason is done. That means it’s time for the offseason! Things never rest in the NFL, and while it’s not “Broncos versus Raiders” in the offseason, I find “Paton versus Mayock (and others)” to be even more intriguing than what we get on the field.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep TJ! The following is a result of those trips during the week.

Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.

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Congrats to The Sheriff

The NFL has forever been changed because of Peyton Manning. The No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft coming out of the University of Tennessee, Manning went on to set multiple records in the NFL playing for both the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos. He spent his final four seasons in the NFL playing for Denver, and those years are some of the best – and most exciting – in franchise history.

On Saturday, it was announced that Manning would be going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot. That’s not a surprise to anyone out there, as Manning exemplifies what it means to be a professional quarterback.

His study habits were legendary, and Manning could often be seen going over his playbook or sifting through film trying to find a weakness. Even when he was supposed to be sitting in the ice bath or hot tub, Manning had and iPad in hand and was putting in the work.

I loved the way he made players around him better. The first day he practiced with the Broncos, Manning changed the career trajectory for wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. On that first day, on a drill to open the practice, Manning made demands of precision to Thomas that he’d never done before. To his credit, Thomas responded and built a strong chemistry with Manning on the field. If you put in the work, like Thomas did, then Manning respected your game.

So happy for Peyton! True historian of the game, great guy, funny, down to Earth. Lets celebrate #BroncosCountry https://t.co/wELLU4x18N

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) February 7, 2021

It’s going to feel like a Broncos reunion in Canton this summer with so much Broncos representation! Manning, John Lynch and Steve Atwater (class of 2020) will all be going into the Hall of Fame at the same time.

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Throw the Damn Towel!

There were a few points in the Super Bowl that were just painful to watch. Those moments happened when Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was out there taking a beating. Near the end of the game, with things quickly getting out of control, Mahomes was trying to make plays happen and the Bucs defense just refused to let him do so.

Mahomes is one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the league, but he has been bothered by a toe injury that was suffered earlier in the playoffs. Add that to an offensive line featuring two backup tackles and you can see how Mahomes was under duress all day.

He was only sacked three times, but the Bucs recorded eight quarterback hits and there were around 30 dropbacks (out of 49) where Mahomes was under pressure. Now, I love physical football and some of these hits are just those a quarterback has to take. However, near the end of the game, I thought Mahomes might sustain a long-term injury because the o-line was not protecting him and he was trying to make these passes (which almost connected) while getting thrown to the ground.

It’s a star-driven league, and I would hate for Mahomes to have to miss time due to injury. At the end of the game, he was still fighting even though it seemed like the rest of his team gave up a long time ago.

Patrick Mahomes is such a warrior. Doing everything he can out there. #Chiefs failing him in #SuperBowl

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) February 8, 2021

I give Mahomes a ton of credit for battling to the end. I just hope we aren’t robbed of a long playing career for him because of the poor offensive line and his “never say die” playing style.

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Missing Shaq Attack

The Broncos have a knack for finding talent from the ranks of the undrafted. The college free agents left over after the draft can play at a high level, and Denver has done a great job of finding and developing that talent for years. One of the undrafted players the Broncos added who has thrived in the NFL is former Colorado State linebacker Shaq Barrett.

The Broncos picked up Barrett coming out of CSU in 2014. He spent his time in Denver as a reserve linebacker and pass-rusher behind the likes of Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware. When his contract was up, the Broncos chose not to re-sign him. Instead, Barrett signed a one-year deal for $4 million with the Buccaneers.

That year (2019), Barrett led the league with 19.5 sacks and became a star with a larger role. The Buccaneers slapped him with the franchise tag for the 2020 season, and Barrett was a big part of the defense which just won the Super Bowl.

As I watched Super Bowl LV, I couldn’t help but have a feeling of missing Barrett for the Broncos. He finished the game with 1.0 sack, one tackle for a loss and led the team with four quarterback hits.

A 58 getting around Remmers for a sack. We’ve seen this before in a #SuperBowl (miss Shaq in Denver!)

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) February 8, 2021

Barrett is a free agent since he played the 2020 season on the franchise tag. With 27.5 sacks over the last two seasons, the market is sure to be strong for his services. It would just be nice if he found his way back to Denver – just sayin’.

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Gone Too Soon

This has been a tough week when it comes to friends in the media. Over the weekend, I lost two associates who were great men and great examples of what it takes to succeed in the media.

The fantasy football podcasting world is larger than it used to be, but the guys over at NFL.com have been doing it almost longer than anyone else. Chris Wesseling, a host on the “Around the NFL” podcast, passed away after a battle with cancer.

I had known Chris dating back to his days of writing and podcasting for Rotoworld, and it was no surprise when he was hired by NFL.com in a similar role years ago. Anytime I had encountered Chris, at the Super Bowl or the Scouting Combine, he was nothing but kind and genuine. The football world will miss his insight.

Rest in heaven, Chris Wesseling ❤️ pic.twitter.com/og5CXrFfac

— Lakisha Jackson Wesseling (@LakishaJackson) February 6, 2021

After the Super Bowl when I started to write this article, I learned of another friend who passed away. Pedro Gomez, long-time baseball reporter for ESPN, died suddenly at his home at the age of 58.

Gomez was one of the most professional media members I had ever been around. He was so knowledgeable about baseball and was very kind explaining some of the nuances to a casual fan like myself. Gomez took his time to make everyone around him feel welcome, and he was about as down to Earth as you could get. I was so sad to learn of his passing.

we lost another great one here. Pedro was ALWAYS first class, great man, kind, giving of his time, incredibly bright and as a Chicano/Latin American I looked up to him in the industry. Thoughts, prayers, positive vibes to his family. RIP https://t.co/Fk2Vi6qgxc

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) February 8, 2021

What did you love about Wesseling and Gomez? Hit me up on social media and let me know!

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