The Hitman: The Destructive Career of Bernard Pollard

Bernard "The Hitman" Pollard (his nickname will catch on soon enough) is now a Super Bowl champion after his Baltimore Ravens defeated the Niners. But I think it's safe to say that that isn't the way Pollard will be remembered.

Rather, he'll be remembered as his era's NFL hitman.

The 7-year strong safety has spent his time with three different teams, yet with each franchise he delivered devastating blows to opposing players leading to serious injury.

Pollard, 28, played two seasons of college ball at Purdue in '04 and '05. While there, he was dubbed the nickname "Bonecrusher" (you shouldn't have to ask why). During the 2005 season, Bonecrusher recorded 92 total tackles and picked off three passes.

Pollard hit the NFL after being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round (54th overall) in the 2006 draft. He didn't make a single start as a rookie, but in 2007 he started 15 games at strong safety, recording 90 total tackles, 1 sack and 2 interceptions.

It wasn't until the 2008 season, however, when he became widely known around the league. In the first quarter of the first game of the season against the New England Patriots Pollard hit quarterback Tom Brady in the knee. Brady was taken out, missed the rest of the game and it was later determined that Brady tore his ACL and would miss the entire 2008 campaign.

Since then there have been numerous additional cases of Pollard knocking players out of games, most notably New England players. Yes, you may also refer to Pollard as a "Patriot Killer."

Pollard left the Chiefs after three seasons, signing with the Houston Texans in 2009. His two best seasons came with Houston, as he recorded 100+ tackles in each of the two seasons in spent in Houston. He also totaled four interceptions, 4.0 sacks and four forced fumbles in '09 and '10.

In the 2009 season finale against, you guessed it, New England, Pollard was in on the play that led to a torn ACL from Wes Welker. Pollard made the tackle as Welker's leg buckled underneath of him. As a result, Welker was done for the postseason and the Patriots ended up being one-and-done with a 33-14 loss to Baltimore a week later.

The 2011 and 2012 seasons were spent with the Baltimore Ravens where, once again, Bernard killed more Patriots. He began to get noticed as a great player while with the Texans, which continued in his two-year stint in Baltimore, but his big hits and bone-crushing tackles continued as well.

Last postseason, in the AFC Championship against the Pats, Pollard was responsible for spraining tight end Rob Gronkowski's ankle on a tackle. Gronkowski ended up playing in Super Bowl XLVI, but was limited by his injured ankle and the Patriots lost.

This past season he recorded 98 total tackles, 2 sacks and an interception in his 13 starts. He was fined $7,875 by the league in October for a Week 7 unnecessary roughness penalty against the Texans and $15,250 on January 30 for a hit on Wes Welker in the AFC Championship game. But the hit on Stevan Ridley late in the Championship game is what drew the most criticism as it knocked Ridley unconscious.

In the past two seasons Pollard has played in all six of the Ravens' postseason games (5-1 in those games) and prior to 2012 his two-year deal was extended for three more seasons. So it looks as if we could see plenty more from The Hitman in the next couple of seasons in Baltimore.

Note: We do not own the above images and videos. No copyright infringement intended.

Lights Out: Flacco-Led Ravens Capture 2nd Super Bowl Title over San Francisco

Super Bowl XLVII was a tale of two halves. And by two halves, I mean pre-power outage and post-power outage.

This year's Super Bowl will certainly be a memorable one, and likely not because Ray Lewis went out with a second ring on his "last ride" or because Joe Flacco finally proved his worth and captured a Super Bowl MVP award.

It'll be memorable because of a 34 minute power outage that the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans experienced two minutes into the third quarter. I'd like to think that Beyonce's powerful halftime performance had something to do with the outage, although commissioner Goodell has come out and stated that she was not the cause. At the same time, though, the league still is unsure of the cause...so we'll go with Beyonce blowing out a fuse. It sounds cool.

Leading 21-6 at the half, and then coming back out of the tunnel and witnessing Jacoby Jones return the second half kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown had Baltimore fans going crazy––the stadium was at least half purple. The return was originally ruled a 109-yarder, but that was later changed to 108. Either way though, it's not only a Super Bowl record for longest return, but a postseason record.

Just minutes away from the infamous power outage at this point, Baltimore had a 28-6 lead and a jubilant crowd on their side. What could possibly go wrong? But just prior to a 3rd & 13 play from their own 40-yard line, half of the stadiums lights went out on the Niners.

Speculation rose, and the CBS analysts began thinking that the outage would benefit San Francisco the most as they'd get to slow the game down and kill Baltimore's momentum. Following the delay, quarterback Colin Kaepernick threw an incomplete pass intended for backup tight end Delanie Walker, forcing an Andy Lee punt.

But following a short-living four-play drive from the Ravens, San Francisco got the ball back and managed to drive 80 yards on seven plays and Kaepernick capped the three-minute drive with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree.

The atmosphere inside the dome had changed quite a bit at this time, and the Niners defense stepped up as well, forcing a three & out from Joe Flacco. A 32-yard return for Ted Ginn Jr. off a Sam Koch punt put the ball at Baltimore's 20-yard line. Two plays later running back Frank Gore put the ball in the end zone for the Niners.

Baltimore's offense hadn't gotten anything going on its previous two drives of the quarter, and this time after catching a swing pass from Flacco, running back Ray Rice fumbled the ball deep in his own territory. San Francisco cornerback Tarell Brown both forced and recovered the ball at the BAL 24.

Despite the great field position, Baltimore's defense stepped up and forced a field goal try from 34-yards out. Splitting the uprights, the score was now 28-23 Baltimore. In just over four minutes of play, the Niners had put up 17 points with 3:14 to play in the third quarter.

Baltimore had begun to put the ball on the ground, and on the following drive ran the ball seven times to four passing plays on the 11-play scoring drive which ended with a Justin Tucker 19-yard field goal. On a 3rd & 1 play from San Francisco's 1-yard line, there was a borderline no-call in which Isaac Sopoaga hit Flacco out of bounds.

Some wanted a roughing the passer call, others wanted a late hit. But Flacco was on the run so roughing the passer could not be called since he was then considered a runner. And I thought Sopoaga's momentum took him into Flacco and that he wasn't far enough out of bounds to warrant a flag. So personally I thought it was the right no-call, because it could have made the difference in the game. In a Super Bowl, don't you want the players to make or break the game? I thought so.

So with one of many controversial calls aside, Baltimore took the three points and still held the lead early into the fourth quarter, 31-23. With the way Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco offense had been moving the ball in the second half, however, Baltimore knew an 8-point lead wasn't safe. After a LaMichael James 28-yard kickoff return, Kaepernick got to work. A 32-yard pass to the legendary Randy Moss (though he's clearly past his prime) was the key play of the five-play scoring drive, because three plays later Kaepernick managed to run the ball in from 15 yards out for a touchdown––longest TD run for a quarterback in Super Bowl history.

Unfortunately the two-point conversion failed, so San Francisco still found themselves down two points with 10 minutes to play.

During Baltimore's ensuing 9-play drive, penalties were key for the Niners' defense and proved costly. Facing a 3rd & 9 early in the drive, San Francisco was looking to stop Flacco on a three and out but defensive back Chris Culliver was flagged for a defensive PI on wideout Torrey Smith, giving Baltimore an automatic first down and another chance to put points on the board. Baltimore continued to slowly chip away at the Niner defense, and once again the Niners were penalized on an offsides penalty on 3rd & 7. The five-yard penalty gave BAL a more doable 3rd & 2 and, even though they still failed to convert on the play, the penalty gave Tucker a more manageable 38-yard field goal.

The drive took over five minutes of game clock, but 4:19 was still plenty to work with for the San Francisco offense. Starting at their own 20, the Niners chipped away at Baltimore and drove all the way down to the BAL 5-yard line while trailing by five. Three consecutive incomplete passes, all intended for Michael Crabtree, gave the ball up on downs with under two minutes to play. The final play of that sequence was once again controversial.

It appeared as though Baltimore cornerback Jimmy Smith had held onto Crabtree with the ball in the air. Again, no flag thrown and the drive was over. Considering that, while being held, Crabtree pushed Smith to the ground I believe the officials saw that and donned the play as two guys getting tangled up. I don't believe that they had actually gotten "tangled up," but I certainly agree with the no-call. Both guys had been pushing each other, so it's tough to call defensive holding when one player is as guilty as the other. Gotta just let these guys play when we're at the biggest stage of them all.

But just out of curiosity, I can't be the only one puzzled by the play-calling, right? Kaepernick and Frank Gore's legs were at Jim Harbaugh's disposal, and he decides to go through the air on three straight plays? There was plenty of time left on the clock and the Niners still had one timeout. Why not try to pound the ball in from five yards out? Confusing.

But either way, Baltimore was stopped on a three and out and forced to punt. Backed up in their own territory and worried about Ginn Jr. returning a short punt for a touchdown, the Ravens made the decision to take a safety and free kick it back to the Niners. Smart decision. Punter Sam Koch held onto the ball for as long as possible before running into the end zone for a safety. It's now 34-31 Baltimore and the Niners have just :04 left on the clock.

Ginn's 31-yard return wasn't enough for a touchdown, clearly, and the Ravens began its celebration, winning the franchise's 2nd Super Bowl title 12 years after celebrating its first.

I find it funny that people are trying to call for a conspiracy theory when talking about the power going out. Yes, the Niners may have picked up momentum and nearly successfully mounted the best comeback in Super Bowl history. But maybe if you had actually watched football this season you'd understand that the 49ers have been a second half team all season long:

Under Kaepernick (10 starts including postseason/SB)

1st half: 121 points (12.1/game)

2nd half: 167 points (16.7/game)

Under Kaepernick (3 starts in postseason/SB)

1st half: 44 (14.6/game)

2nd half: 60 (20/game)

In Super Bowl vs. Ravens

1st half: 6

2nd half: 25

At the biggest stage, it's not often you see a team completely buckle in like the Niners did in the first half, so I knew they'd put some points on the board. Did I know they'd outscore Baltimore 25-13 in the second half? No not really. But it's a good thing they did, because this game may end up going down in the top 10 for best Super Bowls.

Joe Flacco, as I predicted prior to the game, captured the Most Valuable Player award. He put up one of the most prolific single-season postseasons in league history, finishing with a near-perfect statline:

73/126, 58 comp %, 1,140 yards (285 per game), 11 TD, 0 INT, 117.2 rating (106.2+ rating in each of his four starts)

Flacco's performance tied both Joe Montana and Kurt Warner for most touchdowns in a single postseason, and he also tied Montana for the record of most touchdowns without an interception in a complete season. Flacco and Steve Young are now tied for third-place all-time with a 117.2 rating in a single-postseason (only counts Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks).

It's fair to say that Flacco has deserved a long-time contract from Baltimore after this season. His agent has already come out and say that he deserves to be the highest-paid quarterback. I certainly don't agree with this statement, but there's no doubt he deserves a big-time contract. Either way, there's a chance that the Ravens may use the franchise tag on Flacco this season so that they have more time to hash out a deal.

Note: We do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.

Super Bowl Sunday: Previewing the Ravens/Niners Match-up

Today is finally the day. We're just about 3 1/2 hours away from kick-off of Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans, and the All-Out Blitz is just now making its SB pick public.

I tried not to give in to the two-week-long hoopla surrounding the city of New Orleans, and watched a limited amount of coverage of the big game ever since the major networks such as ESPN and NFL Network arrived in New Orleans.

It's all hype. That's all it is.

I wanted to be able to quickly discuss some of the headlines without beating a dead horse for two weeks. So now that we're only a couple hours away, I thought it'd be a nice time to give my take on the headlines, and the match-up itself.

Super Bowl XLVII Headlines:

*Harbaugh brothers

This is one of the multiple obvious headlines, so I'll make it quick. Yes, it's the first time that two brothers have ever faced off in the Super Bowl. And yes they have faced each other one time before as head coaches––last Thanksgiving. John got the best of his little brother Jim as the Ravens defeated the 49ers 16-6 at home.

Fans are deeming this one the "Harbowl" or the "Harbaugh Bowl." Call it whatever you want, but I think I'll just stick to calling it by it's actual name. The Super Bowl.

*Ray Lewis' last ride

Win or lose, 17-year veteran linebacker Ray Lewis is hanging up his cleats for a microphone following this evening's game. He won a Super Bowl MVP trophy early in his career, so who knows maybe he'll finish his career with one as well. One thing is for sure, Kaepernick better watch out for No. 52 tonight.

*Alex Smith is benched for Colin Kaepernick and the young 25-year old's 10th career start is a Super Bowl

Let's face it, Colin looks like a 14-year old kid out of uniform. But once he steps onto that field he puts fear in opposing defenses. Well not exactly the kind of fear that Lewis and SF linebacker Patrick Willis puts in opposing offenses. But it's still a form of fear. Kaepernick ran the pistol offense just as well as RGIII and Russell Wilson did this season, and his 105.9 QB rating in two postseason games shows he's just as effective through the air.

*Baltimore defense vs. San Francisco defense

Both of the defenses will be facing different challenges. San Francisco will need to put pressure on Joe Flacco and force mistakes (which they will then need to capitalize on), while Baltimore will be focused on keeping Kaepernick in the pocket. Unfortunately for both sides, doing so doesn't necessarily mean success.

Flacco has recently thrived under pressure over the last few games, while Kaepernick has proven effective through the air and completed nearly 80% of his pass attempts and ran the ball just two times in a victory over Atlanta. San Francisco's overall defense was ranked No. 2 during the regular season, Baltimore's No. 12, but today brings completely different challenges.

*Joe Flacco's brilliant postseason success

Baltimore's Flacco has garnered quite a few critics over the years, including myself. But in the midst of an expiring contract following this season, he's stepped his game up a few notches––especially in his three postseason games. Normally the success of this offense would be based on the amount of touches and the effectiveness of Ray Rice, but as of late he's been coming out of the backfield and catching passes more often than he's been running the ball.

This may also have to do with the success of backup running back Bernard Pierce. But either way, Flacco has played lights out with the ball in his hands. Ever since the firing of Cam Cameron as offensive coordinator, Flacco has been trusted with the offense. With 8 TDs and 0 interceptions in his three postseason games this season, Flacco is now just three touchdowns away from surpassing Joe Montana for most in a single postseason. Interesting.

The Game

Finally we've gotten to the actual game and the match-ups, and frankly this has to be the potential to be one of the best Super Bowls in years. And that's saying a lot considering the Super Bowls recently.

All eyes will undoubtedly be on Joe Flacco, Colin Kaepernick and Ray Lewis, Patrick Willis. With two game-changing running backs in the backfield––Ray Rice and Frank Gore––one would think that both offenses will come out and run early and often to establish a heavy-dose on the ground. I have a feeling that that wont be the case tonight, however. The game will come down to the signal callers, and whichever plays a mistake-free game will come out winners.

San Francisco has a top 3 run defense, so why wouldn't offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell want to come out of the tunnel and put the ball right in Flacco's hands from the start. He's proven over the last month that he's ready to handle the reins of the offense. Lining Torrey Smith out wide and letting him test out free saftey Dashon Goldson's range is what I would do early. Rice is great coming out of the backfield and catching passes, but I believe Pierce will end up being a more effective option at running back tonight as well.

As for San Francisco's offense, Kaepernick will need to keep the ball in his hands a little more often this time around. With 16 rushing attempts in a 45-31 Divisional round shellacking of the Packers, why wouldn't you let the young kid spread the field out and use his legs to tire out Baltimore's defense. At this point, I think that's the best option they have. Baltimore's defense shut down future Hall of Fame quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in two consecutive games, but they are both pocket passers.

Completely different ball game here.

Baltimore's defense has only faced one team that uses the pistol offense to its advantage this season, and that was in a 31-28 overtime loss to Washington. Allowing 268 passing yards and 179 rushing yards––423 total yards––Baltimore's defense clearly struggled, and they only forced one Washington turnover.

Bottom line: Both teams have great defenses, capable rushing offenses and great quarterbacks. But Flacco has been seemingly unstoppable and has limited all mistakes, which is something that used to haunt him. Baltimore has had an extra week to prepare for Kaepernick's style of play and have great game film from a December game in which Seattle exposed San Francisco's offense (won 42-13 two days before Christmas).

So here it goes, Baltimore pulls one out and wins its second Super Bowl in franchise history...12 years following its first one.

Final score: Baltimore 24, San Francisco 21

MVP: Joe Flacco (it feels weird saying that).

Note: We do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.

NFL Honors: 2012 Season All But Complete

Saturday night, less than 24 hours before Super Bowl XLVII was set to kick-off in New Orleans, the rest of the National Football League gathered to hand out the 2012 regular season awards and celebrate the brilliant season.

The 2nd annual NFL Honors, hosted by actor Alec Baldwin again this year, was once again the life of the party, handing out zingers all over the place. From Roger Goodell to Christian Ponder to Archie Manning to Ndamukong Suh to Jim Brown, Baldwin didn't play favorites and appeared to be roasting the entire league––current and past.

All in good fun, of course.

So though we were made aware of the award winners prior to the 9 p.m. (eastern time) airing of the two-hour long show, it was worth every minute watching Baldwin in action as the players, coaches and family/friends of the players gathered for the celebration in New Orleans.

Here's a rundown of all of the awards and All-Out Blitz's take on each one:

Most Valuable Player––Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings RB

Though it was the last trophy awarded Saturday, I'll put this one first because it's clearly the most coveted award given. Peterson single-handedly led the Vikings to the postseason following a 2,097 rushing yard performance, second-most in a single-season in NFL history and just nine yards short of surpassing Eric Dickerson's record.

Personally I'm a bit surprised the voters didn't hand the award to a quarterback (Manning, Brady, Griffin III, etc.), but this was definitely the correct choice in 2012 MVPs.

Offensive Player of the Year––Adrian Peterson

Ah, yes. Peterson took this one too. I always liked it when the MVP and the OPOY awards were handed to different players for the simple idea of keeping parity within the league. But obviously Peterson was the most deserving considering he was also the MVP of the regular season.

With the league becoming more and more of a passing league, we may not see too many more single-season performances similar to Peterson's 2012 season in quite a while. Enjoy it while you can, folks.

Defensive Player of the Year––J.J. Watt, Houston Texans DE

There were multiple players that were very deserving of this award, most of which were also second-year players like Watt. Whether it was Watt, Aldon Smith of the Niners or Von Miller of the Broncos, all three second-year pass rushers are equally as deserving.

Watt finished with 20.5 sacks, most in the NFL and just 2.5 away from breaking Michael Strahan's single-season sack record of 22.5. Watt and his huge hands also led the league in passes defensed and a category that I like to call "explosions created." It's not an official stat, but it should be. Watt is by far the most disruptive pass rusher in the game today, and he's only just getting started.

Offensive Rookie of the Year––Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins QB

Again, not surprised by who won, but there were also plenty of great candidates in this category as well. Griffin battled multiple injuries throughout the season (concussion and a torn ACL in the postseason), and though the awards aren't based on postseason performance, Griffin still likely got credit for his postseason heroics despite the loss to Seattle....plus, if they were based on postseason performance don't you think Russell Wilson would have come out the winner?

Griffin and his rookie backfield teammate, RB Alfred Morris (also up for the award), built a viable one-two punch coming out of the pistol, and RGIII was both a threat with his arm and his legs. Unbelievable season for a great talent, it's just a shame that his season had to end the way it did.

Defensive Rookie of the Year––Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers LB

My off-season DROY pick, would ya look at that! Kuechly appeared to have almost been overlooked, likely based on the team he plays for. Kuechly led the league in combined tackles, with 164 (103 solo) and added 8 passes defensed, 2 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries in Carolina.

Though he was never flashy throughout his rookie campaign, the 21-year old rookie out of Boston College was the most productive defender out there. And he did it quietly. No trash talk necessary. Perhaps that's why I like him so much?

Comeback Player of the Year––Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos QB

This was a no-brainer to me. There has been a lot of talk about whether Manning or Peterson are more deserving of this award, and there's no doubt it's Peyton. Sure, Peterson had his best season to date and is the MVP, but Manning went from missing the entire 2011 season to being an MVP candidate. Peterson, on the other hand, still fell just 30 yards shy of 1,000 yards and ran for 12 TDs in his 12 starts.

His 4.7 yards per carry average still looks pretty solid despite tearing a shortened season due to his torn ACL and MCL. Peyton, on the other hand, was completely out of action for an entire year and underwent four neck surgeries and what did he do? Oh, just threw for 4,659 yards, 37 TDs and a 13-3 record on his way to a 12th career Pro Bowl appearance. Yeah, I think Peyton had the best comeback season...

Coach of the Year––Bruce Arians, Indianapolis Colts

Arians became the first interim head coach to ever win the Associated Press Coach of the Year award. Filling in for head coach Chuck Pagano after he was diagnosed with leukemia in September, Arians went 9-3 during his 12 games as the head coach of the Colts. Under rookie quarterback Andrew Luck, the Arians-led Colts went to the postseason despite being without the newly-named head coach.

The cool thing about this is that Pagano finished 2nd in the Coach of the Year voting, even though he coached just four games and went 2-2 during those games...and then was one-and-done in the postseason. One of the best stories of the 2012 season, no doubt.

My Off-season Predictions

Lets see how accurate my August predictions (for these same awards) ended up being:

MVP: Arian Foster, Texans

Offensive POY: Aaron Rodgers, Packers

Defensive POY: Patrick Willis, Niners

Offensive ROY: Justin Blackmon, Jaguars (Not even close)

Defensive ROY: Whitney Mercilus, Texans (Again, not even close)

Coach of the Year: Gary Kubiak, Texans (At least they won the division..)

A little Texan-heavy, eh?? Oh well, I came close on a couple right? Anyways, at least all of the awards were handed out to the correct guys. There's only one thing left to do, and that's to play the Super Bowl!

Note: We do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.

Last-Minute Preview (4 of 4): Postseason Seedings and Predictions

You've been waiting long enough. With the first full Sunday of action beginning tomorrow, I thought it was finally time to complete my four-part "Last-Minute Preview" series. Here they are, my 2012 postseason seedings and playoff picks.

AFC

1. Baltimore Ravens

2. New England Patriots

3. Houston Texans

4. Denver Broncos

5. Pittsburgh Steelers

6. Tennessee Titans

NFC

1. Green Bay Packers

2. San Francisco 49ers

3. Dallas Cowboys

4. Carolina Panthers

5. New Orleans Saints

6. Chicago Bears

Wild Card Round

Texans defeat Titans

Steelers defeat Broncos

Cowboys defeat Bears

Saints defeat Panthers

Divisional Round

Ravens defeat Steelers

Texans defeat Patriots

Packers defeat Saints

49ers defeat Cowboys

Conference Championship

Ravens defeat Texans

Packers defeat 49ers

Super Bowl XLVII (in New Orleans, LA)

Packers defeat Ravens

MVP: Aaron Rodgers––No. 2 of his eight-year career

Joe Flacco falls just short of proving to everyone he can win the big one. Strangely enough, the way my seedings and picks have come out, there are a couple of rematches from last season's playoffs: Steelers/Broncos, Ravens/Texans, and of course we (according to me, anyways) will get to witness yet another classic Steerlers vs. Ravens playoff battle.

This will be the first playoff meeting in which the Ravens actually manage to edge the stingy Steelers. It;s short-lived, however, as the Packers and it's pass-heavy offense trumps the Ray Lewis-led Baltimore squad in New Orleans.

Note: I do not own the above image. No copyright infringement intended.

Another Note: My Week 1 picks for tomorrow have been posted in the "Picks" tab.