2013 marks the 25^th year of the Hewes Super Bowl Trophy competition!  It’s been a great ride for the remaining 3 original participants, as well as the 4 additions (dating back to 1995).  We’ve seen our share of surprises, disappointments, great picks and bad picks, controversies, and come-from-behind victories.  Through it all we have managed to stay together and enjoy the “friendly competition” that was envisioned by league founder, The Englishman, in 1989.

A few of the highlights:

• 6 trophy victories (including a small dynasty in the late 1990’s) by HenricoFiveOh, who is the current trophy holder.
• An 11-0 season by then-rookie Pete the Terp, but coming in 3^rd place (at least he got the bronze chicken wing).
• Buffalo Bill is the all-time points leader with 14,253 and a won-loss record of 169-89 (65.5%).
• League expansion in 1995 (Greg the Great and HenricoFiveOh) and 2007 (Ben the Butler and Pete the Terp).
• Five games (out of 1,307) with zero variance – Pete the Terp already has 2.
• 956 points during the 1996 season for Greg the Great.
• A 226-point comeback win in the 1993 Super Bowl for Comeback Kid.
• A 540-point effort in the 1995 Super Bowl for 2013 Winner.

A few of the lowlights:

• Significant controversy on how and when to submit weekly picks, and the penalties associated with those acts.
• Comeback Kid dropping out of the competition for a couple years (was he on injured reserve?).
• No Super Bowl victories for the Buffalo Bills.
• 137 Goose-eggs (Buffalo Bill with a comfortable lead).

Our league has also gone through changes (we like to call them “improvements”) during the past 25 years.

• We now have a full-fledged website (thanks to the dedicated work of Greg the Great) that keeps all things related to HSBT in one central spot.
• We have gone from submitting your picks via telephone call (most likely on your land line) to web-based (which also has a time stamp to distinguish any fires that may be lit by late score submissions).
• The hallowed trophy was expanded to provide for at least another 25 years of winner recognition.  After that, it will resemble the Stanley Cup.
• Real-time scoring updates (when The Commish or Greg the Great is available) for the fanatical few.

Through all of the highlights, lowlights and improvements, your Commish has been the steady rock that is needed to keep it all interesting and fun.  More to come as the team at the NFL offices continues their research throughout the playoffs.

All that said we now look forward to…

WILDCARD WEEKEND PREVIEW
Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston (“We have a problem”) Texans
These 2 teams kicked off the playoffs last year, with Houston (led by 3^rd string QB T.J. Yates) rolling over the Bumbles 31-10.  This year promises to be a little different.  The defensive-minded Bengals (51 sacks and allowing only 12.8 points per game over the past 8 weeks) come into Reliant Stadium after winning 7 of their last 8.  The Texans lost 3 of their last 4 after being the favorites to clinch the #1 seed in the AFC.  QB Matt Schaub (home of the $99 car paint job??) has been lousy during “The Streak” with only TD toss.  Luckily for him, they are at home (where they were 7-1 during the regular season) and he has never lost to the Bengals.

The Bengals last playoff win (in 1990) was ironically against Houston, but it was the Oilers.  Should – I mean when – they win this weekend, it will be their 1^st road playoff win in team history.  Momentum will be more important than the home field advantage in this one, but you better Wat(t)ch out for Texan DE JJ, who had 20.5 sacks and 16 tipped passes this season.  The 6’6” 295-lb. freak can jump up and stand on a platform raised 55” without a running start (check it out on YouTube).

In a nail-biter – Cincinnati 24, Houston Oilers 16
With 5 JJ Watt sacks and Arian Foster rushing for 150 yards and 2 TD’s – Houston 28, Cincinnati 17

Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers
The Saturday Night Live game promises to be a dandy and full of opposites (is this the attraction for these 2 teams playing each for the 3^rd time in the past 6 weeks?).  The Rushing games:  For the Vikes, we have to start with Adrian Peterson, who came off major knee ligament surgery to rush for over 2,000 yards.  Comeback player of the year, for sure.  For the Pack, they rushed for 1,702 yards.  All of them.  Everyone combined.  The Passing Games:  For the Pack we have Aaron Rodgers and an arsenal of more-than-capable receivers (Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings, Randall Cobb, James Jones and TE Jermichael Finley).  At the way, way, way, way opposite end of the spectrum, the Vikes have Christian, who is Ponder-ing how to complete a pass to his sub-par corps of receivers in the hostile, frozen and hopefully snowy tundra of Lambeau Field.

These teams split the series during the regular, with the home winning each game.  The rubber match has always been won by the home team in the playoffs, and this one will be no different.  AP will most likely not get his 200 yards in this one (he had 409 yards in the 2 games vs. Green Bay this season) and the newly-healthy Packer D will rise above the arctic chill to send the Vikes home for the winter.

In a yawner – Green Bay 41, Minnesota 13
AP goes over 200 yards and the Vikes D rises to the occasion – Minnesota 26, Green Bay 24 (upset special…)

Indianapolis Colts @ Baltimore Colts Ravens
High drama here, as legendary Raven LB Ray Lewis will be officially hanging up his cleats after this season.  Will this be his final game in a Ravens uniform?  Adding to it all is the 1^st playoff appearance for much ballyhooed Colt rookie QB, Andrew Luck, who led the Colts from a 3-13 record a year ago to 11-5 this year.

The drama will end once the coin toss is completed and the game starts.  Raven QB Joe will no longer get any Flac(co) as he will light up the air with more than a couple TD passes, and RB Ray Rice will find his groove on the ground against Indy’s 29^th ranked rushing defense.  Look for the post-season jitters to hit Luck (who had 17 turnovers in road games this year), and the other 35 members of the Colts team who are new to the team this year.

In an emotional one – Colts (Baltimore) 28, Colts (Indianapolis) 24
Andrew Luck to the rescue (again) – Colts (Indy) 20, Colts (Baltimore) 16 (see ya, Ray)

Seattle, Washington Seahawks @ Washington Redskins
RG3 vs. RW1 – two exciting rookie starting QB’s, each with regular season passer ratings of 100.0 and above.  Two teams on winning streaks (7 in a row for the Skins and 7 in their last 8 for the Seahawks).  Two terrific running backs (only a couple notches below AP) in Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch and Washington’s rookie Alfred Morris.  Pete Carroll (Mr. Excitement) vs. Mike Shanahan (Mr. Excitable).

Seahawks are favored in this first-ever battle of starting rookie QB’s in a playoff game, primarily because they play better defense.  The last time the ‘Skins were in the playoffs, the government was operating in a surplus (was Sonny Jurgensen their QB?).  This game will be decided by turnovers, even though RW1 and RG3 were pretty good at keeping the ball during the regular season.  And because the Seahawks wear cool uniforms (are they the Oregon Ducks of the NFL?)…

In a tight one – Seattle 35, Washington 23
In a loose one – RG3 24, RW1 21 (that’s a long flight back to Seattle)

SUBMITTING PICKS
As is customary, your picks for all 4 weekend games are to be submitted via the website prior to the kickoff of the Cincinnati – Houston game.  No exceptions, please (you don’t want to start out the year with negative points…).  There is also a rumor floating around that Ben the Butler has just been placed on injured reserve for the playoffs this year.  More details to come later today.  Let’s hope he’s ready for the friendly action of HSBT this season.

~~ The Commish