Defense – The Hilltop Monitor

Deja vu – Super Bowl rematch

Alaina Flory — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Chiefs vs. 49ers, a Super Bowl matchup that seems all too familiar. It may seem like a bad omen that we are about to repeat the game that happened at the cusp of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020, but the anticipation for the big game continues to build.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers game; Oct. 22, 2023 at Geha Field.
(The Hilltop Monitor/Alaina Flory)

The Jan. 28, 2024 fight for the NFC Championship title came down to the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions, as they battled it out at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the home field of the 49ers. Things were not looking good for quarterback Brock Purdy and the 49ers, as they found themselves at a 17-point deficit by halftime, but they persevered and performed a miraculous comeback, outscoring the Lions 27-7 in the second half. The 49ers clinched the NFC Championship with a final score of 34-31, advancing to the Super Bowl.

The Kansas City Chiefs faced off against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore for the AFC Championship game. Many people doubted the Chiefs’ ability to stop the Ravens’ explosive offense, but the Chiefs’ defense, coached by Steve Spagnuolo, was able to put pressure on quarterback Lamar Jackson and hold the Ravens to 10 points, tied for their season low. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes along with tight end Travis Kelce made an unstoppable duo, with Kelce scoring the first touchdown of the game to give the Chiefs an early lead. The game ended with a final score of 17-10 with the Chiefs claiming the AFC Championship title and moving on to compete in the Super Bowl yet again.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins playoff game; Jan. 13, 2024 at Geha Field.
(The Hilltop Monitor/Alaina Flory)

As Super Bowl LVIII approaches, we can look back and see what happened the last time the Chiefs and the 49ers competed against each other in Super Bowl LIV. Patrick Mahomes became the Chief’s starting quarterback in 2018 and has since led his team to the Super Bowl in four of the previous five seasons, winning two of them. Super Bowl LIV was Mahomes’ first appearance in the Super Bowl, and though the Chiefs were down early, Mahomes’ offense scored 21 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to win 31-20.

This will be a challenging matchup between two teams led by talented young quarterbacks and two of the league’s top ten defenses, with both teams proven to be able to handle comeback situations. Chiefs fans hope to see their team win their second consecutive Super Bowl, while the 49ers aim to win their first Super Bowl since the 1994 season. Super Bowl LVIII will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Feb. 11 at 5:30 p.m. (CT) with Reba singing the National Anthem and Usher performing for the halftime show.

Puerto Rico: After the Storm

Dylan Jones — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 13:00:52 +0000

The recent devastation in Puerto Rico has left the territory in need of relief. It endured Hurricanes Maria and Irma from late August to early October. Hurricane Maria will cost Puerto Rico as much as $95 billion. The U.S. has pledged to provide aid. The House of Representatives passed Puerto Rico relief Oct. 12 giving $36.5 billion with more on the way. The Senate will need to approve it prior to its implementation.

Since the weeks following Hurricane Maria 85 percent of Puerto Ricans do not have electricity while 3.4 million citizens are without running water. The Jones Act was suspended to provide aid to Puerto Rico. Congress enacted this act in 1920 in response to the threat of German U-boats during World War I. This Act meant to protect U.S. merchant ships has hindered aid to Puerto Rico as it must pay a tax for every U.S. vessel. The Act doubled the price of aid to the country, hindering relief efforts.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided over $53 million in home repairs and dental, medical and funeral expenses. FEMA has pledged additional aid in the near future, and the U.S. Senate should pass aid relief this week to further help the U.S. Territory.

The Puerto Rican government is attempting to stabilize the territory and its economy in the aftermath. Its failing economy and increased migration will make recovery a challenge. Puerto Rican governor Ricardo Rosselló hopes that 95 percent of power will be restored by Dec. 15, 2017. The government expects that 30 percent of power will be working by the end of October. They expect to have 50 percent electricity by Nov. 15, 2017 and 80 percent by Dec. 1, 2017.

President Trump tweeted Oct. 12 2017 “We cannot keep FEMA, the Military & the First Responders, who have been amazing (under the most difficult circumstances) in P.R. forever!”

He further stated that aid would be halted for Puerto Rico and that the country would have to pay back the money that the U.S. provides. Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi have criticized his position and stated that they will continue to provide aid to Puerto Rico.

Overall aid to Puerto Rico has been a slow process. Trump criticized sending aid and FEMA workers but he praised relief efforts in Houston and tweeted his support for continued Houston relief efforts.

Nevertheless, Puerto Rico has praised FEMA and the U.S. Department of Defense for their efforts. The U.S. government sent aid to Puerto Rico despite partisan infighting in Congress. The organizations above have pledged to provide further aid to restore power and clean water to the country.

Photo courtesy of Reuters.

Sports Profile: Michael Bennett’s impact is beginning to be felt on and off the field

Jake Marlay — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 13:00:25 +0000

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett is one of the most underrated defenders in the NFL. Bennett’s spotlight has been lost at times within a Seahawks defense that is full of big names and big personalities, but his impact on the defense has never wavered.

The 31-year-old uses his freakish wingspan, strength and violent hands to be an unblockable force for Seattle’s defense. Bennett is a player opposing teams have to scheme against offensively, as he is a force both as a pass rusher and as a run-stopping edge defender. He has averaged seven sacks per-16 games throughout his career and has eight forced-fumbles in his nine seasons in the NFL. Since he joined the team in 2013, the Seahawks have consistently had one of the top-10 scoring defenses in the NFL. This defense has helped Seattle go to two Super Bowls since the addition of Bennett, winning Super Bowl 48 in 2014.

Bennett has received much more national attention as of late, but not for his exceptional play. Before over 130 players, executives and coaches held protests during the national anthem Sept. 25, there were only around a dozen players choosing to protest police violence and racial inequality in the country.

These protests were of course started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016. Bennett was one of the first dozen this season.

He is an African American man whose interests off the field have seemed to gain more attention since an incident with the Las Vegas police Aug 27. Bennett was pulled over after officers heard gunfire in the area.

He claims the officers pointed a gun in his face and threatened him while using excessive force in his arrest for no reason other than that he is black. Bennett said the entire experience was “a traumatic experience for me and my entire family”.

Photo courtesy of the Las Vegas Review-Journal

Since this incident, the Las Vegas Police Department has denied many of Bennett’s claims and has stated that race had nothing to do with the incident. This traumatizing threat to his own life, as well as the Charlottesville rallies in August, moved Bennett to make a decision scrutinized by many. He has sat on the bench during the national anthem since the Seahawks’ first game in Green Bay Sept. 10. He was joined by offensive lineman Kenny Britt, who placed his hand on Bennett’s shoulder to show support.

With Bennett being one of the initial post-Kaepernick protestors and speaking out more on issues of equality in the country, he’s become one of the NFL’s most influential figures. He is both an activist for Kaepernick and other players’ right to protest and speaks about the Israeli-Palestein conflict in many public forums. He has even landed on the Root’s 100 Most Influential African Americans. With exemplary play on the field and a well-spoken, rational voice off the field, Michael Bennett is becoming more and more of a recognizable player in the NFL.

Photo courtesy of The Root.