Fun Stuff > CHATTER

The NFL Playoffs thread

<< < (43/46) > >>

DonInKansas:
Storm Rider's got that one.

Excellent game to watch; I love watching good defense and the Giants beat the crap out of the Patriots.  Definitely as entertaining as could have been expected.

Alex C:

--- Quote from: Inlander on 03 Feb 2008, 21:37 ---However, it also illustrated something that's always struck me about American Football: there seems to be very little value placed in the game on actual genuine tackling skills. I guess it's understandable, as unlike in Rugby Union or League all you have to do is knock the player over and nine times out of ten that player isn't trying to beat you with fancy footwork, but all the same: Manning had, what, three or four players on him before he managed to pull himself free? And every single one of them was grabbing at his torso or his shoulders. All the Patriots needed was for just one of those defenders to go for Manning's legs instead and there's no way he would've got out of there. Drive over, Patriots win.

--- End quote ---

It's part sloppy tackling and part knee jerk reaction by defensive players to try stripping the ball when going after ballcarriers (especially QBs) in situations where they believe they have the play contained and because the NFL has rather strict roughing the passer rules. Plus, unlike in rugby the only shot you have at forcing an immediate change of possession is when they're still on their feet, although freelancing like that is exactly the kind of thing that drives coaches absolutely bananas and was rather surprising to see happen with a team like the Patriots. Hell, in Tampa Bay and Indianapolis I've often read that Dungy spends as much time on practicing "spilling" (taking angles in such a way that even if you miss the tackle the ball carrier will be funneled towards the middle of the field and thus towards other defenders) as much as they spend practicing actual tackling, so I'm sure that the obsessive Belichick was a thousand different flavors of pissed off after that lack of discipline. Whatever the reason, they definitely paid for their inability to finish that play.

bff:
I started to smell upset as soon as I saw Bellichek wearing the red sweatshirt. 

Narr:

--- Quote from: BobJoeJim on 03 Feb 2008, 21:38 ---I have to disagree.  It was a good game, sure, but I swear to god I don't think it was the best football game between the Giants and Patriots this season.  Week 17 was a better game than tonight.  As for better Super Bowls in recent memory, I'd take Pats/Titans a few years ago, with the stop on the one yard line on the last play of the game as being better.  Other football games that were far better, off the top of my head, include Boise State vs. Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and USC vs. Texas in the Rose Bowl.

--- End quote ---
it's more than just the physical numbers of what happened in this game that made it exciting for me, I suppose.  The fact this is the Super Bowl makes it more exciting than the last meeting between these two teams because this time, it was more than simple pride at stake.

You had THE UNDEFEATED Vs. The Ultimate Underdog.  You had Perfection against Redemption.  You had NFL Coach of the Year against a guy that was almost fired between this season and last.  You had one of the most reliable quarterbacks of all time against a guy just about EVERYONE wrote off as inconsistent.

Back to back super bowl MVP brothers.  /salute to Archie Manning.

It's the ultimate underdog story.  It's like the Steelers' run to the big game a couple years ago, but this time against even bigger, even nastier teams.  The only "easy" game for the Giants in this whole playoff run was against the Buccaneers.  They had to play the best team in their conference with the Cowboys and had to play against a resurging elder statesman of a quarterback in his home city, where he's got probably the best home record of all time for any single player, and then "the best team that has ever played" with the 2007 Patriots.

Blue Kitty:
I forgot where it was, but when they were talking about Eliah Manning they said, "Not much of a looker, just close your eyes and pretend he is Tom Brady"

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page