I've got to finish this before midnight, as that's when the statute of limitations runs out on discussing SB XL. However, in watching the game tonight, and the ensuing debate about who should be named the MVP, I got to thinking...who would have been named MVP of SB XL had the Seahawks won?

Matt Hasselbeck probably would have been the safe bet, because these things usually go to the quarterback, especially if the voting is close. Hass was 26 for 49, 273 yards, with 1 touchdown and 1 int. Good numbers to be sure, but that one interception was very ill advised, and actually probably was the play that cost us the game, so that may have worked against him.

The regular season MVP had a good day too, although he didn't break the 100 yard mark on 20 carries.

Darrell Jackson came out of the gates quick, catching five passes in the first quarter, setting a new SB record for most catches in one period, but then he disappeared, not to mention the one TD catch that was nullified by his (questionable) offensive penalty. Bobby Engram had his usual workman day, catching 6 balls for 70 yards. Joe Jurevicius lead the club in yardage with 93 on 5 catches, but a lot of those came in garbage time, with the game clock winding down.

On the defensive side of the ball, Kelly Herndon might have gotten some consideration for his goal-line interception which was returned 90+ yards, setting up the only Seahawk TD in the game.

And who caught that TD?

In the coming weeks, we're going to be hearing a lot about Jerramy Stevens, seeing as he's scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent, and his Seahawks career could be graded as an incomplete. There will be those who say the Seahawks should just let him walk, and others who think he's talented enough to warrant the franchise tag.

If only Jerramy had caught a couple more of the balls thrown to him in SB XL, the perspective of the fans as he enters free agency might be different, considering he may have also let a SB MVP slip through his hands on that day.

As it was, he registered 3 catches for 25 yards and one TD. Paltry numbers, but his catches, as well as his non-catches, came at very critical times in the game. Just think if the Locklear hold wasn't called, and J-Steve's catch at the two sets up the Seahawks with the go-ahead TD? Perhaps Stevens even scores it himself on a play-action fake to the tight end, since the Steelers were bottling up the run pretty well most of the day?

I think had the Seahawks won that game, and if that final catch held up, Jerramy Stevens would have been given some MVP considerations in last year's SB.

Just something to consider before vilifying him over the next several weeks.

[Comments taken in SeahawkBlue Forums]

Labels: AlbaNYHawker, Jerramy Stevens, Seahawks, Super Bowl