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On ESPN today, news of Vernon Davis' statement regarding the 49ers being favorites to win the Super Bowl was disputed by commentator Damien Woody. The former offensive lineman said that to be a favorite for the Super Bowl, you have to have an elite quarterback, taking a shot at Alex Smith.
I disagreed with him enough that I took to Twitter and politely addressed my opinion to Woody directly. I told him that NFL teams in fact do not need a top-3 quarterback to win a Super Bowl, and if that were true, that Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees would all just take turns winning Lombardi Trophies. I emphasized that it takes a team to bring home a championship, and with that being the case, when I make Super Bowl picks I look for the most complete team.
This is largely why I believe teams like Houston, Philadelphia and San Francisco will be serious threats in 2012.
Woody then responded and we went back and forth a couple times. I've posted the details of the Twitter conversation after the jump:
Woody initially argued that last year's Giants didn't have a complete team, and that they just more or less had additional pieces in place than the teams they played (Packers and Patriots) didn't have.
@DeSimone80 were the Giants complete 'teams' last yr?! One had one of the worst defenses in league history & the ot... tl.gd/hnlke8
— Damien Woody (@damienwoody) June 6, 2012
Woody argued that the Patriots had one of the worst defenses and the Packers had absolutely no ground game (little did he know, he was already helping me make my point). With the Giants being a more complete team -- like the 49ers -- is probably why the NFC Championship was such a stalemate.
@damienwoody Elite QBs like Brady and Rodgers and Brees ALL lost to more complete/balanced teams like NYG and SF
— Dylan DeSimone (@DeSimone80) June 6, 2012
I wanted to make note to him that the three most elite quarterbacks in the league were all beat outright because they lacked more dimensions to their team. While Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees are unbelievable quarterbacks, their respective teams count on them to do it all too often -- with the exception of New Orleans who's built a more complete unit.
When they got to the playoffs and the other team's they faced were playing three phases of the game very well, it was too much for the stellar QB's to overcome.
@DeSimone80 Giants & Pats weren't 'complete' teams.....both flawed teams but they both have a franchise QB
— Damien Woody (@damienwoody) June 6, 2012
@damienwoody You're right and that's my point. Franchise QBs still need pieces around them to win SBs. Alex Smith doesn't need to be Brady
— Dylan DeSimone (@DeSimone80) June 6, 2012
The reason that the Giants were able to overcome the Tom Brady-led Patriots in the Super Bowl is because outside the quarterback position, New York outmatched New England everywhere else.This was essentially my point to the ESPN commentator; that Alex Smith alone isn't a reason enough to put or keep the 49ers out of the Super Bowl.
I think it was foolish for Woody to completely ignore one of the league's best teams because the guy behind center isn't a top-5 quarterback in the league. In three phases of the game, San Francisco might do it better than anyone -- that's why ESPN has them at No. 5 in their official Power Rankings for 2012.
Vernon Davis has every reason to believe the 49ers will win the Super Bowl next season. And it's good that he's aware of what's around him, because he'll take advantage. He will work harder with the highest expectations. I like where Vernon's head is at.