Don't be a candy-ass

There is only one real Favinger house rule: don't be a candy-ass. It came about while we were playing Wits and Wagers (google it) and didn't want people to just sit on a big chip lead and ride it out to a slow but sure win. That's no fun for anyone and it's total candy-assery. So if you come to our place for any kind of board game night, New Years Eve party, or anything else. Remember, don't be a candy-ass.

There's plenty blame to go around for Denver's embarrassing performance against Baltimore yesterday. Manning only did "Manning-Things" for like a drive and a half and threw the back-breaking interception in overtime. Champ Bailey looked old, slow, and even older. Miller and Dumervil were a non-factor the entire game (some credit goes to Baltimore offensive line of course). Really, our entire secondary was absolutely pathetic. How do you give up a hail-mary with under a minute left in the game? That's the one and only thing you should be defending against! If there's ever a reason to play prevent defense it's when Joe Flacco has 55 seconds and no timeouts to go 70 yards for a touchdown. What. The. Hell. Was. Everyone. Thinking?

But that's okay. It happens. It shouldn't ever happen, but I can accept that players have horrible games sometimes (it's just too bad when 75% of the defense has an off day on the same day and that day happens to be the divisional round of the playoffs). So don't get me wrong, I blame all of them. But I also really blame John Fox and Peyton Manning for being candy-asses and breaking my one and only house rule.

With 1:21 left in the second quarter the Broncos faced a 4th and 8 from the Baltimore 34 and attempted and missed a 52 yard field goal. Baltimore took over and quickly marched down the field and set up a 32 yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith. Under ideal conditions, I can understand trusting Prater with a 52 yard field goal. But when it's freakin' freezing, with a head wind, and a beat up field, why not just attempt a 4th and 8 from there? A conversion gives you a decent shot at setting up a touchdown and at the very least, a much more reasonable field goal. And on a failed 4th down attempt, at least you don't give Baltimore a free 10 yards like they did by botching the field goal. Maybe the numbers say kicking was the best bet. I don't know. But when you're a heavy favorite, playing at home, and Peyton Manning is your quarterback, grow some balls and go for the jugular.

However, the decision that really killed me was the choice run on 3rd and 7 with 2:00 left in the game. Most people disagree with me on this one I think. By running it, you can punt with 1:15 left and Baltimore out of timeouts. All you have to do is stop the big play. But it just felt wrong. It was a lot like something Elway faced in the 1997 playoffs. Similar circumstances, different decision. In the 1997 AFC Championship game, Denver faced a 3rd and 5 from their own 15 with 2:00 left in the game and Pittsburgh out of timeouts. I guess the key difference is that they were only up by three and a punt puts Pittsburgh a handful of completions out of field goal range. But still, a run brings the clock down to 1:15 and forces Kordell Stewart to win the game -- someone who'd already thrown three picks and lost a fumble. Not exactly a Joe Flacco going up against a secondary who'd been getting their asses kicked all day.

But you know what Elway did? He went outside of the playbook, designed a slant to Sharpe and threw a game clinching 18 yard completion. I don't know whether Fox or Manning made the final decision to run the clock rather than go for the win, but it was a candy-ass call. Seven yards wins you the game. Seven yards from victory formation, a couple kneels and a trip to the AFC Championship game. An incompletion gives Flacco an extra 40 seconds... so what? I'd think with one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, you'd have enough confidence to gain seven yards and seal the win. That's what John Elway did. And that's why Elway really is one of the best to ever play the game. The stat sheets don't show the fire: not just the willingness to takes risks, but the confidence that you can make the play and win you the game. Elway played to win. Manning and Fox played to not lose. There's more than a semantic difference there.

I re-watched Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII last week. Old-Manning is a better pure passer than Old-Elway. There's no question about that. But Old-Elway had the fire that was completely absent from Old-Manning and candy-ass Fox yesterday. He was a man on a mission during those final two years. It's one of those things that you have to see to understand. It's why people are saying Manning chokes in the playoffs. Not because he's somehow responsible for the Denver defense giving up four million points to a shitty quarterback. But because he didn't do the things that you'd expect a first ballot hall of famer to do. Things like converting a 3rd and 7 to win a game. Or even trying to.