ExtremeRavens Posted February 15 Posted February 15 As soon as the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers, 25-22, in overtime Sunday to win their second consecutive Super Bowl title, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was asked the obvious question about capturing a third. Of course, Mahomes said he wanted to three-peat, but it’s hard to win three titles in a row, especially since the introduction of the salary cap in 1994. The Chiefs have their reasons to believe they can pull it off. Mahomes, 28, is a great competitor and one of five quarterbacks to win three or more Super Bowl titles. They also have running back Isiah Pacheco and All-World tight end Travis Kelce under contract for 2024, as well as coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. But since Green Bay won the first two Super Bowl titles in 1967 and 1968, eight teams have tried to three-peat and none have succeeded. Before 1994, teams were able to keep their nucleus of players, but that’s no longer the case. Kansas City could lose as many as six starters on a defense that carried the team for most of the season, including defensive linemen Chris Jones, Mike Danna and Derrick Nnadi, linebackers Willie Gay Jr. and Drue Tranquill and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. There are other factors to consider, such as complacency and injuries. Also, unlike MLB and the NBA, there are no best-of-five or best-of-seven series. If a team doesn’t bring its “A” game in the postseason, then it’s one-and-done. The Ravens suffered that painful reminder in their 17-10 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC championship game despite having the best regular-season record at 13-4. Breaking down Mahomes vs. Jackson There are major differences between Mahomes and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, including arm strength, but the biggest is Mahomes’ ability to read the field and stay focused. Mahomes doesn’t get rattled. Jackson, meanwhile, seemed in a daze during the conference championship game on Jan. 28. The 49ers controlled Mahomes for most of the first half Sunday, but in the second he was able to find open receivers as he finished 34 of 46 for 333 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Jackson had receivers open in the game against Kansas City but couldn’t locate them. He held onto the ball too long and chose not to run. Even when both quarterbacks scramble, Mahomes is in control, while Jackson zig-zags and darts in and out. It’s about structure as well, and sometimes the Ravens’ passing game is unorganized chaos. I thought Jackson had reached the point in his career where he could handle pressure, but there were still some growing pains. If the Ravens make it back to the AFC title game next year, the experience will not be new to him. With Jackson, it’s a step-by-step process. That’s not the case with Mahomes. Bills safety Damar Hamlin poses on the red carpet at the NFL Honors award show Feb. 8 in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Hamlin is the true Comeback Player of the Year Former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco deserved to be in contention for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award, but there is no way he should have been selected over Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Flacco carried Cleveland in the final five games of the regular season, helping the Browns earn a playoff spot. He completed 123 of 204 passes for 1,616 yards and six touchdowns before the Browns were bounced from the postseason by the Houston Texans. You can’t argue with his success. But during a “Monday Night Football” game against the Cincinnati Bengals in January 2023, Hamlin collapsed on the field after tackling wide receiver Tee Higgins. Shortly after the play, Hamlin stood up momentarily before passing out and falling backward. First responders initiated CPR and an automated external defibrillator was used to resuscitate Hamlin. Later, it was reported that Hamlin had suffered cardiac arrest and his heartbeat was restored on the field. His condition was later described as commotio cordis, an extremely rare condition that is 97% fatal if not treated within three minutes. Hamlin played in only five games this past season and in two playoff games. He had a total of four tackles, but for a player to come back from something like that is amazing. This isn’t high school or college football. This is the NFL, the best professional football league on the planet. Even Flacco agreed that Hamlin deserved the award, which tells you about the character of Flacco. He could have taken it a step further and just given the award to Hamlin. Criticism of Shanahan, Harbaugh goes too far 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has taken a lot of criticism for electing to receive the ball instead of kicking off to the Chiefs in overtime Sunday, which critics say led to San Francisco’s loss. The choice by Shanahan was strange, but the harsh criticism of him reminds me of the way fans here demand that John Harbaugh be fired after big losses. Football is an emotional game and fans get too carried away. It’s not as if Shanahan or Harbaugh became “dumb” overnight. It’s all about perspective. Shanahan, 44, has led the 49ers to three division titles, four conference championship games and two Super Bowls. He has never won a ring, but to get into the Super Bowl twice at his age is remarkable. Some criticisms of Shanahan were echoed about Reid when he was the coach in Philadelphia. He compiled a 130-93-1 record in 14 years with the Eagles, but he also lost four NFC championship games and fell to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX following the 2004 season. As for Harbaugh, he is 160-99 in the regular season and 12-10 in the playoffs since taking over in 2008. Like every coach in the NFL, he has his strengths and weaknesses, but the status of the organization with him as the leader is strong, stable and well-respected throughout the league. The Ravens have been in contention almost every year he has been in Baltimore. Some argue that Harbaugh, 61, should have been replaced by Mike Macdonald, 36, the team’s second-year defensive coordinator who was named coach of the Seattle Seahawks. Replacing a quality, effective coach with an unproven assistant makes no sense. The notion of firing either Shanahan or Harbaugh is absurd. Jim Harbaugh, left, celebrates with his brother, Ravens coach John Harbaugh, after winning the national championship with Michigan. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) ‘Harbowl’ is back on It will be interesting to see the Harbaugh brothers going against each other again now that Jim Harbaugh is the coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. In the brothers, you can see the influence of their father Jack, 84, a former college football coach. The Harbaughs believe in a strong running game and physical defenses, and both have strong, competitive spirits that become contagious in the locker room. The only on-the-surface difference between the two is that John is more subtle and stylish. He could become a politician because he knows how to work a room. Jim, on the other hand, is more abrupt and straightforward. In other words, Jim just doesn’t give a damn. Martindale at Michigan Don “Wink” Martindale has become the new defensive coordinator at Michigan. It will work out well, at least for a couple of years. Martindale, 60, is his own man and wants to do things his way. That’s great if a team is winning, but not so good if it isn’t, which might be why he’s no longer working with the Ravens and the New York Giants. Martindale, though, has a strong relationship with his players and they will play hard for him at Michigan. He certainly influenced Macdonald, especially with the blitzes and pressures off the edge. Martindale is a disciple of the late Buddy Ryan, who created the “46” defense with the 1985 Chicago Bears. He is also good friends with Rob and Rex Ryan, two former coaches with the Ravens. View the full article Quote
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