By Benson Petit-Clair | Haititempo
1. Congratulations to Haitian-Americans Cliff Avril and Jean-Pierre Lemuel for helping the Seahawks claim their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Witnessing Haitian-American players winning the NFL’s biggest game is now becoming a regular occurrence. From Pierre Garçon with the Colts in 2007, to Jonathan Vilma with the Saints in 2010 to Jason Pierre-Paul with the Giants in 2012, Haitian-American players have made their mark in Super Bowl lore. On Sunday, Seahawk players Cliff Avril and Jean-Pierre Lemuel added their names to the list. Avril anchored a defensive line that rattled record-breaking quarterback Peyton Manning from beginning to end. The 6-3, 260lbs. lineman even received MVP considerations for playing, quite possibly, the best game of his six-year career. Avril finished the game with three tackles, two QB hits and two passes defensed, one of which led to a pick-six. After destroying Denver’s offensive line all game, Avril became a strong candidate for game MVP honors. But even though the award went to Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith (who collected a pick-six, a fumble recovery and nine tackles), Avril was nevertheless proud of his fellow teammate. “It was cool to see a defensive player do it,” said the Haitian-American defensive end after the 43-8 victory. As for center Lemuel, his contributions came late in the fourth quarter when he came on to spell starting center Max Unger, who suffered an injury during the game. Another player of Haitian descent – Broncos cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie – saw action in the game, but could do little to prevent the offensive onslaught carried out by the Seahawks. Overall, it was a great day for Haitian athletes performing in the biggest sporting event in North America. Congratulations are in order to all three for reaching the sport’s biggest stage which was also the most-watched television event in U.S. history.
2. Defense wins championships. The Seahawks dominated the Broncos mightily last night – on offense, defense and special teams. It was a comprehensive victory in all phases. However, the defensive unit will receive great accolades for years for their outstanding performance against Peyton Manning and the league’s top offense. Seattle’s aggressive defense set the tone from the opening whistle, and didn’t relent until the fourth quarter clock read 0:00. Manning entered the game riding the momentum of a record-setting season – a season in which racked up 5,477 passing yards, 55 touchdowns, and a fifth career MVP award. Billed as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game, the 15-year veteran hardly looked like his regular season self in the face of the Seahawk defense. Denver’s lone bright spot of the night came from wideout Demaryius Thomas, who caught 118 receiving yards, and grabbed their lone touchdown right before the end of the third quarter. Meanwhile, fellow Bronco receivers Wes Welker, Julius Thomas and Eric Decker only collected a combined 117 yards. Malcolm Smith, Chris Clemens, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, and Cliff Avril, made it impossible for Manning to collect his second ring during his Hall of Fame-caliber career While Smith, the former seventh-round pick, garnered the MVP honors, it took a stellar performance by the entire Seahawks defense to limit the best offense in NFL history to a measly eight points. Seattle’s defense was aggressive and physical; they controlled the line of scrimmage, they hit and tackled immediately after Denver’s receiving corps caught the ball and, most importantly, they forced the opponent to commit some critical turnovers. This defensive unit will go down as one of the best ever, if not the best. Pitted against one of the best quarterbacks to ever play, and a record-setting offense, the 2013 Seattle Seahawks proved that they belonged in the same conversation as the 1985 Chicago Bears and the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.
3. Russell Wilson’s superb game management. Wilson’s Super Bowl stat line won’t blow anyone away: 206 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. On paper, it’s about as unremarkable as it gets. However, his exceptional game management skills led the Seahawks to a 43-point throttling in front of a worldwide audience. Seattle head coach Pete Carroll called it the “perfect football game;” his teammates referred to him as The General. In the days leading to title game, Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch was viewed as Seattle’s greatest weapon the against Manning and the high-powered Bronco offense. Yet, Lynch only managed 39 yards on 15 attempts for a paltry of 2.6 yards per carry. With Lynch struggling to get his engine started, Carroll left the game in the hands of the quick-thinking Wilson, who was the sixth QB selected in the 2012 draft. And Wilson did not disappoint. The diminutive (5-11) play-caller came into the game as the so-called “other QB” when matched up against the record-setting Manning. But Wilson read the Broncos defense like a best-seller, completed a slew or critical passes, sprinted out of trouble countless times and, in the end, helped author a stunning upset against his big-name adversary. While he may not have earned MVPs honors, the 25-year-old quarterback put together a winning performance on the game’s biggest stage. Suffice to say, football pundits across America will be forced to revise their opinions of Wilson.
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