I’m just average – not terrible, but not great, either – when it comes to making predictions.
But, as you may or may not have heard last Monday and Tuesday afternoons during the weekly radio segments I do on WAKR in Akron and WHBC in Canton, respectively, I went way against the grain and predicted that the Denver Broncos would defeat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. I knew the situation was ripe for a big upset to take place, and I thought the Broncos were more than well enough equipped to pull it off.
And, as evidenced by Denver’s 24-10 win, I was right. I’ve got to hit it once in a while, don’t I?
But how did I know that the Broncos would win, or even could win, when almost everyone thought they had little or no chance? It was rather easy, actually.
I based everything on the fact the Browns defeated the Dallas Cowboys 19-14 on Dec. 10, 1994 in a nationally-televised Saturday afternoon game at Texas Stadium.
What? Huh?
Yes, that’s right. I was relying totally on what happened that day over 21 years ago, and also the fact that history tends to repeat itself. Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Let me explain.
The Browns were 9-4 and hot in the chase for both a wild-card playoff berth and even the AFC Central title when they met the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Cowboys, who were streaking along at 11-2 after having won three in a row and nine of 10. While the Browns, as evidenced by their eventual 11-5 finish, good enough to make it in into the postseason as a wild card, were no slouches, they didn’t seem to be much of a threat to Dallas, especially on the road.
That was the theme all week leading into the game, that the Browns were overmatched. Head coach Bill Belichick knew his team could do more than just compete. He knew it could win. But to do so, the Cowboys had to be softened up a bit.
All week long, Belichick, in his dealings with the media, talked about the Cowboys as if they were gods, and he instructed his players to do the same thing. The way everyone at Browns Headquarters looked at it, the team’s only hope was not to get blown out to the point of embarrassment in front of the entire country. Winning the game? Come on, that was out of the question.
The Cowboys bit on it hook, line and sinker. By kickoff, they probably thought they could whip Cleveland with their second-stringers. They weren’t prepared for what they got.
A two-yard touchdown pass from Vinny Testaverde to wide receiver Michael Jackson, then three field goals from Matt Stover from 34, 32 and 43 yards gave the Browns a stunning 16-7 lead in the fourth quarter. Emmitt Smith’s second TD of the day and another Stover field goal, this one from 32 yards again, cut the Browns’ advantage to 19-14 as the Cowboys got the ball back for the final possession of the game.
Dallas worked its way down the field and seemed to be going in for the game-winning TD, but on the final play, Belichick and defensive coordinator Nick Saban guessed right that quarterback Troy Aikman was going to go to tight end Jay Novacek on a quick slant pattern. Free safety Eric Turner was waiting for Novacek and tackled him inches from the goal line as the final gun sounded.
Two men not given to outward expressions of joy, Belichick and Saban passionately hugged each other on the sideline. It was a big moment for the Browns as it established them as legitimate contenders.
Sound familiar?
It should.
For two weeks straight heading into Super Bowl 50, everybody talked about how great the Panthers were and how the Broncos had to be careful not to get run off the field. The Broncos played right along with it. Behind the scenes, though, they seethed at being disregarded. But at the same time, they laughed because they knew the Panthers were getting big heads over all the praise.
The Broncos punched the Panthers in the mouth right away and never let up. Every time it looked as if the Panthers were going to catch up, the Broncos beat them back with a big play of some kind.
Football is like life in that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. The Panthers are good, but they aren’t good enough to just roll their helmets out there and beat a team as good – and as fired up – as the Broncos.
The Panthers are a young team still on the rise. As such, they’ll be back, no doubt better for having endured the painful lesson they were taught Sunday about believing their press clippings.
