By Rick Morris
How can a game look like a lackluster Super Bowl for 55 minutes and utterly catch fire in the last five? There was an unprecedented three lead changes in the final quarter of a Super Bowl.
We just saw history, folks, and this will be a game that gets talked about 50 years from now when we reflect back on what the Giants just did.
Eli Manning completed his 2008 Redemption Tour with a moment that makes his career immortal, regardless of whatever else he accomplishes from here. The game-winning 12-play, 83 yard drive in the final 2:42, culminating in the touchdown pass to a previously-underutilized Plaxico Burress for the 17-14 win, defies belief still. Eli deserves the MVP and the play where he wiggled out of the grasp to hit Tyree deep in New England territory is the defining moment of this epic event.
Eli always had good maneuverability, slightly better than his brother in fact (and that is the ONLY area where he comes out on top of Peyton). But tonight he put it all together in a manner that few QBs ever do on the biggest stage. And it turns out he did win the MVP, good for him.
Now, New England, which reached for untold glory, suffers a humiliation that is under the radar but present nonetheless -- they were trying to be the first team to be both a Team of the Decade and have an unbeaten season (this was only because the Dolphins of the early '70s were decimated by World Football League defections and never got a chance to build on their accomplishments through the decade). But instead, they become the first Team of the Decade of the Super Bowl era to lose a Super Bowl in that decade.
Tom Brady clearly was not nearly 100%, proving my pregame skepticism completely wrong. Credit must go also to the unbelievable Giant pass rush, however, as Brady got hit more in one night than in several previous games combined. But chew this over for a second: the Patriot offense, the greatest regular-season offense in the history of the league in the regular season (at least in terms of points tallied), put up a donut tonight: one TD on their first drive, one on their last, and bupkis in between.
As I noted in our Super Bowl preview, the Football Outsiders website stated this week that the Giants were bucking history -- not merely because of trying to knock off an 18-0 team, but because they were one of the most mediocre teams ever to be in a Super Bowl if you look at the totality of their season. Few teams in the history of the game succeeded in pulling themselves out of the ranks of the average to attain necessary greatness later in the season. That may sound like a backhanded compliment, but it certainly is not. Eli Manning and many of his teammates were looking quite suspect as recently as midseason and the historical record is strongly against such a collection of players growing up over the course of the same season. They deserve a lot of credit for accomplishing such a rare feat.
Prior to the season, I picked the Giants to finish 6-10 as Tom Coughlin was brought back for what looked to be a lame duck season after his 2006 team was racked by turmoil. Who knew that shedding Tiki Barber would help the chemistry enough to bring the team together?
As for me personally, as I have noted I am a huge Dolphins fan and I was rocking my Nat Moore jersey tonight. Frankly, when Burress scored his touchdown, I was hyperventilating I was so happy and so utterly shocked. I had to run into the kitchen to get a bag to breathe into, earning me the scorn of the room!
Here's a little well-earned '72 Dolphins triumphalism.
To conclude this wrapup, here are some quotes I did not hear in the postgame interviews that I had hoped would be said:
^ Eli Manning: "You mean my brother struggled to beat this Brady character all these years? What's up with that? It only took me one shot!"
^ Archie Manning: "This is absolutely the greatest day of my life! Now, don't get me wrong, I'm still ashamed of Cooper, but other than that, nothing can bring me down right now!"
^ Tom Coughlin: "Hey Tiki Barber, I got your coaching effectiveness swinging right here, son!"
^ Steve Spagnuolo: "Back up the Brinks truck, biatches!"
^ Kevin Gilbride: "What a sweet contract I have, I get paid for a full game but only have to work in the late second half!"
^ Tom Brady: "Even a wild night with Gisele won't erase this pain. Oh, wait, it will."
^ Don Shula and Mercury Morris, at midfield swigging straight from champagne bottles after bum-rushing the field: "We're still the only Perfect Team!"
Showing posts with label New England Patriots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New England Patriots. Show all posts
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Super Bowl Liveblogging Part XII
By Rick Morris
And there it is -- the lethal Patriot short passing game that has not been in evidence for most of this game has surfaced right when the team needs it most. Brady has been shredding the Giant D, but still doesn't look completely like himself. He's not planting off his foot completely, he's throwing more inaccurate and fluttering passes than usual and he's counting on his receivers to recover slight mistakes far more than usual.
On third and goal from the five with 2:45 left in regulation, Brady finds a wide-open Randy Moss on the right side of the end zone. The PAT makes it 14-10 New England.
And there it is -- the lethal Patriot short passing game that has not been in evidence for most of this game has surfaced right when the team needs it most. Brady has been shredding the Giant D, but still doesn't look completely like himself. He's not planting off his foot completely, he's throwing more inaccurate and fluttering passes than usual and he's counting on his receivers to recover slight mistakes far more than usual.
On third and goal from the five with 2:45 left in regulation, Brady finds a wide-open Randy Moss on the right side of the end zone. The PAT makes it 14-10 New England.
Super Bowl Liveblogging Part XI
By Rick Morris
The New England drive didn't last long; Brady is getting pressured and hit way more than usual. He eluded pressure to get off a couple of intermediate-range passes, but they dropped incomplete.
The Giants, who have controlled the clock throughout the game, will start to move the ball from about their own 30. Will the Patriot defense be worn down enough to allow a long drive? The game hangs in the balance with 8:24 left and a third and nine situation -- completion to Amani Toomer for only eight. On fourth down, the Giants will look to boom one deep. It didn't happen; fair catch just inside the 20.
The New England drive didn't last long; Brady is getting pressured and hit way more than usual. He eluded pressure to get off a couple of intermediate-range passes, but they dropped incomplete.
The Giants, who have controlled the clock throughout the game, will start to move the ball from about their own 30. Will the Patriot defense be worn down enough to allow a long drive? The game hangs in the balance with 8:24 left and a third and nine situation -- completion to Amani Toomer for only eight. On fourth down, the Giants will look to boom one deep. It didn't happen; fair catch just inside the 20.
Super Bowl Liveblogging Part X
By Rick Morris
The Pats go to punt on the first play of the fourth quarter and on that play, Chris Hanson could neither catch a predator nor keep the punt from going into the Giants' end zone.
For what it's worth, the Super Bowl ads have been lackluster on the whole. I look forward to seeing what the public consensus on the matter is tomorrow, but I am very underwhelmed by them.
Manning hits a huge 45-yard pass to Kevin Boss that puts the Giants down at the New England 35. It is imperative for New York to score here, preferably of course with a touchdown.
The camera just cut to Jeremy Shockey -- in a loge drinking a beer and not on the sidelines with his teammates. Classy.
Another big completion to Ahmad Bradshaw at the 12 clinches some points for the Giants on this drive minus a turnover. And then -- touchdown pass to David Tyree!!! My partner Jason Jones is right, we are going to witness history today -- and it may be a historic collapse by the Patriots!
That was a pretty good Coke commercial with Bill Frist and James Carville (who is one scary looking mofo).
The Pats go to punt on the first play of the fourth quarter and on that play, Chris Hanson could neither catch a predator nor keep the punt from going into the Giants' end zone.
For what it's worth, the Super Bowl ads have been lackluster on the whole. I look forward to seeing what the public consensus on the matter is tomorrow, but I am very underwhelmed by them.
Manning hits a huge 45-yard pass to Kevin Boss that puts the Giants down at the New England 35. It is imperative for New York to score here, preferably of course with a touchdown.
The camera just cut to Jeremy Shockey -- in a loge drinking a beer and not on the sidelines with his teammates. Classy.
Another big completion to Ahmad Bradshaw at the 12 clinches some points for the Giants on this drive minus a turnover. And then -- touchdown pass to David Tyree!!! My partner Jason Jones is right, we are going to witness history today -- and it may be a historic collapse by the Patriots!
That was a pretty good Coke commercial with Bill Frist and James Carville (who is one scary looking mofo).
Super Bowl Liveblogging Part IX
By Rick Morris
The Giants' playcalling was better on that drive, but they still stalled out before field goal territory was reached. The punt goes to about the 10 yard line, where the Pats' offense will look to finally get something going. New York kicked a field goal on the opening possession and the Pats followed up with a TD and we haven't seen any more scoring since. Unbelievable.
Just in case you were wondering, not everyone in this great land of ours is glued to this game. This old coot thinks football is a waste of time and things were better in the good old days -- and he's got so much more hilarious stuff here.
The New York pass rush is still absolutely insane, but New England gets out from under the shadow of their own goal line with a first-down completion to Wes Welker after having been backed up to their own five.
The Giants' playcalling was better on that drive, but they still stalled out before field goal territory was reached. The punt goes to about the 10 yard line, where the Pats' offense will look to finally get something going. New York kicked a field goal on the opening possession and the Pats followed up with a TD and we haven't seen any more scoring since. Unbelievable.
Just in case you were wondering, not everyone in this great land of ours is glued to this game. This old coot thinks football is a waste of time and things were better in the good old days -- and he's got so much more hilarious stuff here.
The New York pass rush is still absolutely insane, but New England gets out from under the shadow of their own goal line with a first-down completion to Wes Welker after having been backed up to their own five.
Super Bowl Liveblogging Part VIII
By Rick Morris
The Pats won their challenge and continued to drive, but a big sack on Brady set up 4th and 13 from the 31 yard line and a bomb to Gaffney in the end zone that wasn't even close to completion leads to the turnover on downs.
I just had a question posed to me by my friend, former SportsTalkNetwork.com host Nick Despones about whether this turnover could be a turning point (because I had exclaimed aloud that New England winning the challenge would be a turning point before I pleaded, "Prove me wrong, God!"). I answered that the Giants could get a big boost right here, but only if aliens abduct Kevin Gilbride and someone else, anyone, even somebody from the stands, replaces him.
The Pats won their challenge and continued to drive, but a big sack on Brady set up 4th and 13 from the 31 yard line and a bomb to Gaffney in the end zone that wasn't even close to completion leads to the turnover on downs.
I just had a question posed to me by my friend, former SportsTalkNetwork.com host Nick Despones about whether this turnover could be a turning point (because I had exclaimed aloud that New England winning the challenge would be a turning point before I pleaded, "Prove me wrong, God!"). I answered that the Giants could get a big boost right here, but only if aliens abduct Kevin Gilbride and someone else, anyone, even somebody from the stands, replaces him.
Super Bowl Liveblogging Part VII
By Rick Morris
Wonderful racial profiling on that Chinese version of the Sales Genie commercial!
Pats start to move the ball again at the beginning of the third quarter before being forced to punt again -- and it was a pretty good punt with the ball backed up inside of the Giants' 20! This is a Bizarro World version of the shootout or quasi-shootout we all thought we were going to see.
Belichick has just thrown the challenge flag to try to nullify the punt play by claiming the Giants had 12 men on the field. Should we really be surprised that's the way The Hoodie wants to win?
Wonderful racial profiling on that Chinese version of the Sales Genie commercial!
Pats start to move the ball again at the beginning of the third quarter before being forced to punt again -- and it was a pretty good punt with the ball backed up inside of the Giants' 20! This is a Bizarro World version of the shootout or quasi-shootout we all thought we were going to see.
Belichick has just thrown the challenge flag to try to nullify the punt play by claiming the Giants had 12 men on the field. Should we really be surprised that's the way The Hoodie wants to win?
A Close Super Bowl, Who'd a Thought
by Jason Jones
As someone who thought the halftime score would be 21-10 in favor of New England, I am very pleasantly surprised with the Giants' defensive pressure. It has been a while since there was a truly competitive Super Bowl. I hope this continues on. The repetitive secondary blitzes and 3rd downs that including sending the kitchen sink -- I am afraid the Giants might get burned once or twice. I am extremely happy that the game is not out of hand at halftime. Here's to seeing history and a close game at the same time.
As someone who thought the halftime score would be 21-10 in favor of New England, I am very pleasantly surprised with the Giants' defensive pressure. It has been a while since there was a truly competitive Super Bowl. I hope this continues on. The repetitive secondary blitzes and 3rd downs that including sending the kitchen sink -- I am afraid the Giants might get burned once or twice. I am extremely happy that the game is not out of hand at halftime. Here's to seeing history and a close game at the same time.
Super Bowl Liveblogging Part VI
By Rick Morris
Giants drive again but are forced to punt to the New England 11 yard line after a penalty on Ahmad Bradshaw for illegally swatting away a fumbled football.
Tom Brady now goes to work in the two-minute offense. They get nowhere after two plays. I could have sworn I just lip-read Steve Spagnuolo and he said, "How you like me now, Daniel Snyder?"
Scratch that, the Pats are off and running again, but it's a relatively nickle-and-dime type offense for being pinched on time. Randy Moss just had his first reception down to about the New York 40, but Brady just had the ball stripped and no phony "Tuck Rule" was able to save him here.
Ten second left and Eli's going to take one shot from midfield. Gilbride works his magic again as Manning throws incomplete to fumble-fingers Steve Smith at the 40 with five seconds left. Randy Moss comes in on defense, but they didn't need him. 7-3 New England at the half.
Giants drive again but are forced to punt to the New England 11 yard line after a penalty on Ahmad Bradshaw for illegally swatting away a fumbled football.
Tom Brady now goes to work in the two-minute offense. They get nowhere after two plays. I could have sworn I just lip-read Steve Spagnuolo and he said, "How you like me now, Daniel Snyder?"
Scratch that, the Pats are off and running again, but it's a relatively nickle-and-dime type offense for being pinched on time. Randy Moss just had his first reception down to about the New York 40, but Brady just had the ball stripped and no phony "Tuck Rule" was able to save him here.
Ten second left and Eli's going to take one shot from midfield. Gilbride works his magic again as Manning throws incomplete to fumble-fingers Steve Smith at the 40 with five seconds left. Randy Moss comes in on defense, but they didn't need him. 7-3 New England at the half.
Super Bowl Liveblogging Part V
By Rick Morris
The Giants and Patriots go on to trade three-and-outs. The sack on Brady at the end of his "drive" highlighted his ankle problems. I guess I was wrong; he is not 100%.
This game is sitting right there for New York if they mix up the playcalling a bit.
Carlos Mencia's Bud Light commercial was awesome, although I'm unsure how "You be the sandwich, I'll be the meat" got past Standards & Practices.
The Giants and Patriots go on to trade three-and-outs. The sack on Brady at the end of his "drive" highlighted his ankle problems. I guess I was wrong; he is not 100%.
This game is sitting right there for New York if they mix up the playcalling a bit.
Carlos Mencia's Bud Light commercial was awesome, although I'm unsure how "You be the sandwich, I'll be the meat" got past Standards & Practices.
Super Bowl Liveblogging Part IV
By Rick Morris
The Giants drive all the way down the field (after an amazingly sweet long sideline pass to Amani Toomer) only to have Steve Smith (ROOKIE!) shovel the ball almost right into the hands of Hobbs for the INT. New York has to limit the damage here and not let the Pats drive all the way down the field again.
And they hold! Three and out, and they get the punt return out past their own 37.
The Giants drive all the way down the field (after an amazingly sweet long sideline pass to Amani Toomer) only to have Steve Smith (ROOKIE!) shovel the ball almost right into the hands of Hobbs for the INT. New York has to limit the damage here and not let the Pats drive all the way down the field again.
And they hold! Three and out, and they get the punt return out past their own 37.
Super Bowl Liveblogging Part III
By Rick Morris
We saw only two possessions in the first quarter of the Super Bowl, which was a new record.
Brady was a bit unsteady on that ankle on the first drive, and it was more methodical than most we've seen from New England this year, but it ended with a 1-yard TD run from Maroney on the first play of the second quarter. 7-3 New England.
The Pats squib the next kickoff out of bounds by mistake and New York takes over at their own 40. Has Kevin Gilbride pulled his head out of his posterior? We'll soon find out.
We saw only two possessions in the first quarter of the Super Bowl, which was a new record.
Brady was a bit unsteady on that ankle on the first drive, and it was more methodical than most we've seen from New England this year, but it ended with a 1-yard TD run from Maroney on the first play of the second quarter. 7-3 New England.
The Pats squib the next kickoff out of bounds by mistake and New York takes over at their own 40. Has Kevin Gilbride pulled his head out of his posterior? We'll soon find out.
Super Bowl Liveblogging Part II
By Rick Morris
Kevin Gilbride's playcalling absolutely sucks. For old time's sake, I'm hoping to see Buddy Ryan pop up tonight just to take a swing at him for being such an idiot.
Delayed handoffs to your 400-pound running back? Handing off to him out of the shotgun?
Predictably, although Eli Manning bailed them out repeatedly with third-down conversions, Gilbride putting them into a hole with the stupid scheming caught up to them in the end. Giants settle for a field goal after a long drive and lead 3-0.
Laurence Maroney (???) just had a huge kick return for the Pats, who will start around midfield.
By the way, the Pepsi Max commercial with "What is Love?" is the leader in the clubhouse for best ad.
Kevin Gilbride's playcalling absolutely sucks. For old time's sake, I'm hoping to see Buddy Ryan pop up tonight just to take a swing at him for being such an idiot.
Delayed handoffs to your 400-pound running back? Handing off to him out of the shotgun?
Predictably, although Eli Manning bailed them out repeatedly with third-down conversions, Gilbride putting them into a hole with the stupid scheming caught up to them in the end. Giants settle for a field goal after a long drive and lead 3-0.
Laurence Maroney (???) just had a huge kick return for the Pats, who will start around midfield.
By the way, the Pepsi Max commercial with "What is Love?" is the leader in the clubhouse for best ad.
Super Bowl preview
By Rick Morris
A quick note at the outset: I am an unashamed, unabashed admirer of the 1972 Dolphins. During the course of this past season, it has become apparent that I am one of the few anywhere, apparently, as the champagne toasts and braggadocio about The Perfect Season that I find amusing and appropriate are hated by the rest of Western Civilization. How Don Shula, Mercury Morris and the rest of the gang I appreciate and respect have managed to "babyface" Bill Belichick (in the parlance of pro wrestling) by comparison remains one of the great mysteries of life to me. I also don't care much for The Hoodie. But I pride myself on objective analysis and I will not let my personal biases factor into my assessments of this game. Also, I will be live-blogging the game on this very blog as it is unfolding.
^ First of all, here's a look at some of the best resources you will find anywhere for your pre-game reading. Pro Football Weekly has a great overall game breakdown, injury report, series of keys to the game, position-by-position comparison and series of staff predictions. CBS Sports has a detailed game breakdown video up on its website. And USA Today has a great Tale of the Tape that breaks down the statistics in excellent fashion.
^ Football Outsiders made the very provocative argument that this Super Bowl is the biggest mismatch in history on paper. They back up that statement quite well, although they hasten to add that that does not mean the Giants have no chance to win. The gist of the matter is that not only have the Pats been playing at the historic clip to get to 18-0 (especially on offense, as we are all well aware), the Giants come into the game having put together a fairly mediocre season by the standards of the previous 82 teams that made the Super Bowl (when the whole of the season is considered statistically). Frankly, the dramatic improvement (whether lasting or otherwise -- we'll find out) of Eli Manning is a microcosm for what the Giants are trying to do here -- put together a dramatic, almost-unprecedented in-season improvement that culminates in a Super Bowl win.
^ In my previous analysis of the postseason, I have referred to the Giants defense as being nothing more than the sum total of its pass rush. The secondary and the run defense have striven mightily to prove me wrong, especially in the NFC Championship Game. I question strongly whether they can bring anything near that level of effectiveness tonight, inasmuch as they weren't able to do much in their previous loss to the Pats. There's only so much fault you can drop on a team for getting picked apart by Brady & Company, though, as I noted in my postmortem of the playoff game against Jacksonville; the Jags tried their best to put a body on all available weapons, but there are just too many. And the admittedly superhuman Giant pass rush can be disarmed by effective running from Laurence Maroney and screen passes to that wee little sprite Kevin Faulk.
^ Analysts who claim that the Giants are better off for having played the Pats and for having almost pushed them to the brink in Week 17 are probably right. New England has an enormous mental edge over everyone they play, but the intimidation factor is probably a tad less against a team that stood in better against them than almost anyone else.
^ No talk of Belichick's Patriots can be complete without addressing the role of various mind games that are constantly taking place. Doubtless he is deriving additional motivation from the interjection into the process of Spygate one more time from Professional Ambulance Chaser Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Spector. And the "Brady in a walking boot" motif struck me as a self-indulgent attempt by New England to interject a little drama into the proceedings, perhaps a bit the same as Bob Griese reemerging from injury to lead the Perfect Team over the top 35 years ago. Although the Giants will bring the heat in abundance, I don't look for Brady's alleged injury to play any part in the outcome whatsoever.
^ In terms of fun irrelevancies to the final outcome, this game marks the first time that two teams enter with a combined appearance figure in double digits: it's the Pats' sixth appearance and the Giants' fourth. Also, it marks the third time in the history of the Super Bowl that teams will play each other after missing a previous meeting by one year. The first time was in Super Bowl 19 when the 49'ers and Dolphins faced off against each other (San Francisco appeared in Super Bowl 16, Miami in Super Bowl 17). The second time was in Super Bowl 24 when the 49'ers and Broncos were matched (Denver appeared in Super Bowl 22, San Francisco in Super Bowl 23). The Giants and Patriots have twice missed playing each other in the Super Bowl by one year: New England was in Super Bowl 20, while the Giants made it to Super Bowl 21 and then the Giants were in Super Bowl 35, a year before the Pats in Super Bowl 36. The good news for those hoping for the big upset? NFC teams are 2-0 in such situations. Pete Axthelm would be proud!
^ Here's my actual prediction: I see the game being moderately high-scoring and hovering right around the pointspreads for side and total. I don't see the Giants being any closer to victory on the second go-round minus an unexpected turnover burst from New England; Belichick and his crew have had two weeks to prepare and extend their natural coaching advantage. New York will probably be coming from behind, perhaps as early as the second quarter, and they will be more predictable if they are. New England will look to establish great offensive balance between the run and the pass and in all likelihood they hit their offensive trough in their unimpressive effort against San Diego two weeks ago. The Giant pass rush will have to force at least two fumbles from Tom Brady or an equivalent number of interceptions from what would be uncharacteristically poor throws. Randy Moss and Plaxico Burress will probably each have decent but not hugely explosive games. Interestingly enough, neither team has punted the ball very well this season, so defensive stops could well result in good field position for the incoming offenses. In the end, the field for MVP will probably end up being crowded with a few possibilities, but Brady will take it, not least of which because the media has been snowed about the "adversity he is overcoming with his injury." New England finishes running the slate with a Super Bowl 42 win, 34-20.
A quick note at the outset: I am an unashamed, unabashed admirer of the 1972 Dolphins. During the course of this past season, it has become apparent that I am one of the few anywhere, apparently, as the champagne toasts and braggadocio about The Perfect Season that I find amusing and appropriate are hated by the rest of Western Civilization. How Don Shula, Mercury Morris and the rest of the gang I appreciate and respect have managed to "babyface" Bill Belichick (in the parlance of pro wrestling) by comparison remains one of the great mysteries of life to me. I also don't care much for The Hoodie. But I pride myself on objective analysis and I will not let my personal biases factor into my assessments of this game. Also, I will be live-blogging the game on this very blog as it is unfolding.
^ First of all, here's a look at some of the best resources you will find anywhere for your pre-game reading. Pro Football Weekly has a great overall game breakdown, injury report, series of keys to the game, position-by-position comparison and series of staff predictions. CBS Sports has a detailed game breakdown video up on its website. And USA Today has a great Tale of the Tape that breaks down the statistics in excellent fashion.
^ Football Outsiders made the very provocative argument that this Super Bowl is the biggest mismatch in history on paper. They back up that statement quite well, although they hasten to add that that does not mean the Giants have no chance to win. The gist of the matter is that not only have the Pats been playing at the historic clip to get to 18-0 (especially on offense, as we are all well aware), the Giants come into the game having put together a fairly mediocre season by the standards of the previous 82 teams that made the Super Bowl (when the whole of the season is considered statistically). Frankly, the dramatic improvement (whether lasting or otherwise -- we'll find out) of Eli Manning is a microcosm for what the Giants are trying to do here -- put together a dramatic, almost-unprecedented in-season improvement that culminates in a Super Bowl win.
^ In my previous analysis of the postseason, I have referred to the Giants defense as being nothing more than the sum total of its pass rush. The secondary and the run defense have striven mightily to prove me wrong, especially in the NFC Championship Game. I question strongly whether they can bring anything near that level of effectiveness tonight, inasmuch as they weren't able to do much in their previous loss to the Pats. There's only so much fault you can drop on a team for getting picked apart by Brady & Company, though, as I noted in my postmortem of the playoff game against Jacksonville; the Jags tried their best to put a body on all available weapons, but there are just too many. And the admittedly superhuman Giant pass rush can be disarmed by effective running from Laurence Maroney and screen passes to that wee little sprite Kevin Faulk.
^ Analysts who claim that the Giants are better off for having played the Pats and for having almost pushed them to the brink in Week 17 are probably right. New England has an enormous mental edge over everyone they play, but the intimidation factor is probably a tad less against a team that stood in better against them than almost anyone else.
^ No talk of Belichick's Patriots can be complete without addressing the role of various mind games that are constantly taking place. Doubtless he is deriving additional motivation from the interjection into the process of Spygate one more time from Professional Ambulance Chaser Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Spector. And the "Brady in a walking boot" motif struck me as a self-indulgent attempt by New England to interject a little drama into the proceedings, perhaps a bit the same as Bob Griese reemerging from injury to lead the Perfect Team over the top 35 years ago. Although the Giants will bring the heat in abundance, I don't look for Brady's alleged injury to play any part in the outcome whatsoever.
^ In terms of fun irrelevancies to the final outcome, this game marks the first time that two teams enter with a combined appearance figure in double digits: it's the Pats' sixth appearance and the Giants' fourth. Also, it marks the third time in the history of the Super Bowl that teams will play each other after missing a previous meeting by one year. The first time was in Super Bowl 19 when the 49'ers and Dolphins faced off against each other (San Francisco appeared in Super Bowl 16, Miami in Super Bowl 17). The second time was in Super Bowl 24 when the 49'ers and Broncos were matched (Denver appeared in Super Bowl 22, San Francisco in Super Bowl 23). The Giants and Patriots have twice missed playing each other in the Super Bowl by one year: New England was in Super Bowl 20, while the Giants made it to Super Bowl 21 and then the Giants were in Super Bowl 35, a year before the Pats in Super Bowl 36. The good news for those hoping for the big upset? NFC teams are 2-0 in such situations. Pete Axthelm would be proud!
^ Here's my actual prediction: I see the game being moderately high-scoring and hovering right around the pointspreads for side and total. I don't see the Giants being any closer to victory on the second go-round minus an unexpected turnover burst from New England; Belichick and his crew have had two weeks to prepare and extend their natural coaching advantage. New York will probably be coming from behind, perhaps as early as the second quarter, and they will be more predictable if they are. New England will look to establish great offensive balance between the run and the pass and in all likelihood they hit their offensive trough in their unimpressive effort against San Diego two weeks ago. The Giant pass rush will have to force at least two fumbles from Tom Brady or an equivalent number of interceptions from what would be uncharacteristically poor throws. Randy Moss and Plaxico Burress will probably each have decent but not hugely explosive games. Interestingly enough, neither team has punted the ball very well this season, so defensive stops could well result in good field position for the incoming offenses. In the end, the field for MVP will probably end up being crowded with a few possibilities, but Brady will take it, not least of which because the media has been snowed about the "adversity he is overcoming with his injury." New England finishes running the slate with a Super Bowl 42 win, 34-20.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
How Do You Arrive At Your Super Bowl XLII Prediction
by Jason Jones
ESPN STAFF and Selected Celebrities
- Jeffri Chadiha: 24-23 Giants
- John Clayton: 38-24 Patriots
- Matt Mosley: 31-17 Patriots
- Len Pasquarelli: 31-20 Patriots
- Mike Sando: 30-20 Patriots
- John Banks: 42-21 Patriots
- Mike McAllister: 34-24 Patriots
- Scott Symmes: 27-24 Giants
- Sheldon Spencer: 27-23 Giants
- Jeremy Green: 27-23 Patriots
- Keith Kidd: 27-20 Patriots
- Matt Williamson: 33-20 Patriots
- Ken Moll: 28-17 Patriots
- Doug Kretz: 31-17 Patriots
- Marwan Maalouf: 28-27 Patriots
- Gary Horton: 31-20 Patriots
- Bill Simmons: 42-17 Patriots
- Greg Garber: 38-21 Patriots
- Gregg Easterbrook: 20-19 Giants
- Jemele Hill: 38-31 Patriots
- Wright Thompson: 35-3 Giants
- Paul Newman (actor) Tie ---------
- Joanne Woodward (actor) 28-14 Patriots
- Jack Nicklaus (golfer) N/A Patriots
- Arnold Palmer (golfer) 28-21 Giants
- Gen. Mike Hayden (Dir
- Martina McBride (singer) 31-27 Patriots
- Placido Domingo (singer) 24-21 Giants
- Serena Williams (tennis) N/A Giants
- Don Rickles (comedy) 21-12 Patriots
- Phyllis Diller (comedienne) 30-10 Patriots
- Lebron James (cle cavaliers) 34-14 Patriots
- Dwayne Wade (mia heat) 27-17 Patriots
- Shaquille O’Neal (mia heat) 21-20 Giants
- Keith Olbermann (msnbc) 27-21 Giants
- Bill O’Reilly (fox) 31-30 Giants
- Michael Phelps (swimmer) 24-17 Patriots
- Mitt Romney (anti-Christ) 28-14 Patriots
- Michael Bloomberg (Mayor) 31-28 Giants
- Elisabeth Shue (actress) 31-20 Patriots
- Mamie Van Doren (sex icon) 28-7 Patriots
- Jerry Mathers (leave it to beaver) 30-27 Patriots
- Bobby Thompson (baseball Giant) 28-21 Patriots
- Ralph Branca (
- Chuck Yeager (pilot) 28-17 Patriots
- Mickey Rooney (actor) N/A Patriots
- Yogi Berra (NY Yankee) N/A Giants
- Steven Van Zandt (sopranos) 20-14 Giants
- Wayne Newton (singer) 35-30 Patriots
- Dave Grohl (foo fighters) 24-21 Patriots
- Dana Delany (actress) 28-21 Patriots
- Mark Cuban (owner Mavericks) 28-16 Giants
- Dr. Joyce Brothers (psychologist) 17-10 Giants
- Andy Williams (singer) 21-7 Patriots
- Barry Williams (brady bunch) 42-27 Patriots
- Christopher Knight (brady bunch) 31-20 Patriots
- Shirley Jones (partridge family) 34-20 Patriots
- Adam West (original batman) 24-14 Patriots
- Dawn Wells (gilligan’s island) 28-17 Patriots
- Russell Johnson (gilligan’s island) 21-20 Giants
- Haley Joel Osmond (sixth sense) 34-20 Patriots
- Dick Vitale (espn coll basketball) 28-24 Giants
- Dennis Miller (comedian/radio host) 19-0 Patriots
- Dennis Farina (actor) 27-24 Giants
- Randy Jackson (American idol) 31-24 Patriots
- Tobin Bell (Jigsaw from “Saw”) 17-14 Patriots
- Pam Shriver (tennis broadcaster) 24-13 Patriots
- Neal McDonough (actor) 38-14 Patriots
- Robert Patrick (actor) 35-17 Patriots
- Stacy Keibler (wwe/actress) 32-17 Patriots
- Jess L. Martin (actor) 25-21 Giants
- Gordon Clapp (actor) 41-10 Patriots
- Dr. Pat Robertson (reverend) 20-14 Giants
- Dr. James Dobson (reverend) 34-24 Patriots
- Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass) N/A Patriots
- Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) N/A Giants
- Scott Turow (author) 21-17 Giants
- David Wright (N.Y. Mets 3B) 27-24 Giants
- Omar Epps (actor) 35-24 Patriots
- Marisol Nichols (actress) 35-21 Patriots
- Susan Anton (singer/actress) 31-28 Patriots
- Dierks Bentley (singer) 27-24 Giants
- Kirsten Haglund (miss America) 31-20 Patriots
- Rachel Smith (miss
- Vince Neil (singer/Motley Crue) 49-14 Patriots
- Tony Sirico (actor/sopranos) 35-31 Giants
- Christopher Gorham (actor) 27-17 Patriots
- Dominic Chianese (actor/sopranos) 24-21 Giants
- Jon Tenney (actor) 27-24 Giants
- John Slattery (actor) 41-28 Patriots
- James Denton (actor) 23-20 Giants
- Dick Van Patten (founder NBPF) 35-14 Patriots
- Ed Asner (actor) 7-3 Giants
- Eva Marie Saint (actress) 38-35 Giants
- Marlee Matlin (actress) N/A Giants
- Shelley Berman (actor/comedian) 28-21 Patriots
- Dionne Warwick (singer) 27-17 Giants
- Bob Weir (musician) 31-24 Patriots
- Joan Jett (singer) 35-21 Giants
100. Tom Scholz (
101. Rodney Atkins (singer) 42-17 Patriots
102. Dolph Lundgren (actor) 21-13 Giants
103. Carl Weathers (actor) 31-17 Patriots
104. Leroy Neiman (artist) 31-21 Patriots
105. John Cena (wwe wrestler) 34-14 Patriots
106. Maria Menounos (tv host) 30-27 Patriots
107. Julia Mancuso (skier) 31-28 Patriots
108. Kerry Walsh (volleyball medalist) 35-27 Patriots
109. Jeremy Wariner (track medalist) 24-17 Patriots
110. Mike Eruzione (1980
111. Karch Kiraly (volleyball medalist) 28-17 Patriots
112. Tyson Gay (track star) 27-14 Patriots
113. Sanya Richards (track star) 21-17 Giants
114. Clint Bowyer (NASCAR) 45-24 Patriots
115. Matt Kenseth (NASCAR) 24-21 Giants
116. Jeff Burton (NASCAR) 34-13 Patriots
117. Ted Giannoulas (SD Chicken) 34-26 Patriots
118. Carrot Top (comedian) 27-23 Patriots
119. Scott Adams (dilbert) 37-21 Giants
120. Judy Tentuta (comedienne) 28-21 Patriots
121. Penn Jillette (penn and teller) N/A Patriots
122. Sean Salisbury (ESPN) N/A Patriots
123. Merril Hoge (ESPN) N/A Giants
124. Ron Jaworski (ESPN) N/A Patriots
125. Mark Schlereth (ESPN) N/A Patriots
126. Mike Golic (ESPN) N/A Patriots
127. Mike Ditka (ESPN) N/A Giants
128. Keyshawn Johnson (ESPN) N/A Patriots
129. Emmitt Smith (ESPN) N/A Patriots
ESPN SportsNation Poll (as of Feb 1) – 492,651 total votes
Patriots will win-60.7%
Giants will win-39.3%
Total Score and Average Score of those taking the Giants
939-734 (in favor of the Giants)
26.08-20.38 (giving the Giants a +5.7 point margin of victory)
Total Score and Average Score of those taking the Patriots
2293-1390 (in favor of the Patriots)
31.41-19.04 (giving the Patriots a +12.4 point margin of victory)
Total Score of All Participants (129-not including the D-Bags who are too lame to actually pick a winner and chose to go with a tie in a non-tie era).
3232-2124 (in favor of the Patriots)
29.65-19.48 (giving the Patriots a +10.17 margin of victory)
If you do not have a rooting interest and might have been wondering how to make a pick without getting to completely immersed into it, this may be the best way to go. In a manner of speaking, this is the “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-ask the audience” analogy. That is of course, if 129 of the ESPN employees and a gamut of celebrities were an audience at your disposal. If that is the case, then maybe your pick should be…
PATRIOTS, 30-19 (by way of rounding up or down).
Monday, January 28, 2008
Reliving the days of Bozo-Choke
By Rick Morris
To the long sad list of Cleveland sports futility we must add one more: the looming specter of the first perfect NFL team in 35 years, the same franchise that has already been crowned the "team of the decade" -- coached by a man run out of the North Coast in a cloud of futility 12 years ago. Why did Bill Belichick fail in Cleveland?
The question is often posed by people who did not have an up-close seat to the sorry state of the Browns franchise in the early and mid-90s. Those of us unfortunate enough to remember the coach once known as "Bozo-Choke" purposely designing bootlegs to humiliate his starting quarterback Bernie Kosar, kicking a field goal at the end of a game that his team would still lose by several touchdowns and blazoning in our minds forever the putrid phrase "Metcalf Up the Middle" -- well, we can tell you that the "genius" you're seeing in New England bears little or no resemblance to the goof we suffered through for five interminable years.
It's easy to miss this point on the surface. Now, as then, Belichick displays no social graces. He has a great mind for defense now, as he admittedly did then. But there are many subtle nuances in the job The Hoodie has done over the last several years with the Pats that indicate lessons that he learned the hard way in C-Town. Gene Wojciechowski does an excellent job in this ESPN.com article of breaking down everything that we in Cleveland observed during those painful years. In the long line of infamous Cleveland sports heartbreaks, the huge success of this man after using the Browns as a pathetic "training wheel" start to his pro career has to rank high on the list.
To the long sad list of Cleveland sports futility we must add one more: the looming specter of the first perfect NFL team in 35 years, the same franchise that has already been crowned the "team of the decade" -- coached by a man run out of the North Coast in a cloud of futility 12 years ago. Why did Bill Belichick fail in Cleveland?
The question is often posed by people who did not have an up-close seat to the sorry state of the Browns franchise in the early and mid-90s. Those of us unfortunate enough to remember the coach once known as "Bozo-Choke" purposely designing bootlegs to humiliate his starting quarterback Bernie Kosar, kicking a field goal at the end of a game that his team would still lose by several touchdowns and blazoning in our minds forever the putrid phrase "Metcalf Up the Middle" -- well, we can tell you that the "genius" you're seeing in New England bears little or no resemblance to the goof we suffered through for five interminable years.
It's easy to miss this point on the surface. Now, as then, Belichick displays no social graces. He has a great mind for defense now, as he admittedly did then. But there are many subtle nuances in the job The Hoodie has done over the last several years with the Pats that indicate lessons that he learned the hard way in C-Town. Gene Wojciechowski does an excellent job in this ESPN.com article of breaking down everything that we in Cleveland observed during those painful years. In the long line of infamous Cleveland sports heartbreaks, the huge success of this man after using the Browns as a pathetic "training wheel" start to his pro career has to rank high on the list.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Championship Sunday thoughts
By Rick Morris
^ Norv Turner and Philip Rivers are the biggest goats of the day without any doubt whatsoever. Unlike LaDainian Tomlinson, Rivers did not have the good sense to pull himself from the game and Turner did not have the stones to step in and do the job that leaders are paid to execute. How was yesterday's scene any different than Grady Little failing to take the ball out of Pedro Martinez's hands in the 2003 ALCS when his pitcher clearly was gassed? Forget the 2004 baseball postseason, there's your cosmic payback for Boston-area fans yesterday as the shoe was on the other foot. Rivers was in pathetic physical condition, unable to push off at all on his passes. There was so much air underneath his throws that I was half-waiting for the Patriots to signal for a fair catch before making an interception. It is utterly shameful to hold the Pats, the best offense of at least the modern era, to 21 points on their home field and not win the game. Spare me the gaga about Rivers inspiring his team by going out there one leg and not wanting to put the game in the hands of a backup. Phil Simms was just being a homer for the quarterback position when he argued otherwise with no evidence to back up his moronic position. While imperfect, Billy Volek is far better than the average backup and proved his mettle at Indy last week -- and the team wouldn't have folded pathetically in the red zone every time with a quarterback that was physically able to play. I actually like Rivers as a quarterback, but make no mistake that his John Wayne Complex and the gutless non-response of his head coach were primarily responsible for the team's failure to win a game that it should have.
^ Why wasn't the CBS pregame crew on the scene yesterday? Since when is the studio utilized for a Championship Sunday game? CBS doesn't even have the Super Bowl this year -- this was the biggest day of their football season! Fox Sports sent their crew to Lambeau yesterday as they will for the Super Bowl in two weeks. Shame on CBS.
^ Contrary to the final score, the Giants actually dominated the later stages of the game yesterday. How else could Lawrence Tynes miss a game-winning field goal every ninety seconds? Mike McCarthy will have to answer for the fact that he so easily abandoned the ground game. Much like the previous week, you have to give credit to the Giants, but the Cowboys and Packers both made a ton of self-inflicted mistakes. Speaking of which, and my friends watching with me concurred, the game had much more the feel of a routine Week 9 game than a conference title clash. The mistakes, the up-and-down play of so many key performers on both sides -- it just seemed to drain some of the air of urgency out of the contest.
^ Yesterday's game reinforces the notion that even if Brett Favre had pulled off the improbable second Super Bowl win of his career, he still would be no better than a Top Ten quarterback all-time looking in enviously at the Top Five. Few other elite quarterbacks have been great for as long as he has, and few of them have the records that he does -- but few of them have the brutal tendencies that he does to this day of forcing the football and trying too hard to make things happen. You live by being a gunslinger, you die by it also and the flip side of the reality that makes him a folk hero and a legend also makes him somebody that you have to be just a bit conflicted about having at the helm of your team in the clutch.
^ In trying to anticipate the oppressive media crush of manufactured Super Bowl storylines, a few come to mind. Tom Brady will now be carrying on his famous battle with the Manning family against the other brother. Given the fact that New York tends to break down (in large part) with so many fans rooting for the Mets and Jets (the newer franchises in town) and so many fans rooting for the Yankees and Giants (the old-line teams in town), the Super Bowl is going to pit a great many Yankee and Red Sox fans against each other (can we root for Mutually Assured Destruction?). I'm hard-pressed to conjure up a scenario that gives the Giants a serious chance for victory, but I will address the Super Bowl matchup in more detail at a later date.
^ Norv Turner and Philip Rivers are the biggest goats of the day without any doubt whatsoever. Unlike LaDainian Tomlinson, Rivers did not have the good sense to pull himself from the game and Turner did not have the stones to step in and do the job that leaders are paid to execute. How was yesterday's scene any different than Grady Little failing to take the ball out of Pedro Martinez's hands in the 2003 ALCS when his pitcher clearly was gassed? Forget the 2004 baseball postseason, there's your cosmic payback for Boston-area fans yesterday as the shoe was on the other foot. Rivers was in pathetic physical condition, unable to push off at all on his passes. There was so much air underneath his throws that I was half-waiting for the Patriots to signal for a fair catch before making an interception. It is utterly shameful to hold the Pats, the best offense of at least the modern era, to 21 points on their home field and not win the game. Spare me the gaga about Rivers inspiring his team by going out there one leg and not wanting to put the game in the hands of a backup. Phil Simms was just being a homer for the quarterback position when he argued otherwise with no evidence to back up his moronic position. While imperfect, Billy Volek is far better than the average backup and proved his mettle at Indy last week -- and the team wouldn't have folded pathetically in the red zone every time with a quarterback that was physically able to play. I actually like Rivers as a quarterback, but make no mistake that his John Wayne Complex and the gutless non-response of his head coach were primarily responsible for the team's failure to win a game that it should have.
^ Why wasn't the CBS pregame crew on the scene yesterday? Since when is the studio utilized for a Championship Sunday game? CBS doesn't even have the Super Bowl this year -- this was the biggest day of their football season! Fox Sports sent their crew to Lambeau yesterday as they will for the Super Bowl in two weeks. Shame on CBS.
^ Contrary to the final score, the Giants actually dominated the later stages of the game yesterday. How else could Lawrence Tynes miss a game-winning field goal every ninety seconds? Mike McCarthy will have to answer for the fact that he so easily abandoned the ground game. Much like the previous week, you have to give credit to the Giants, but the Cowboys and Packers both made a ton of self-inflicted mistakes. Speaking of which, and my friends watching with me concurred, the game had much more the feel of a routine Week 9 game than a conference title clash. The mistakes, the up-and-down play of so many key performers on both sides -- it just seemed to drain some of the air of urgency out of the contest.
^ Yesterday's game reinforces the notion that even if Brett Favre had pulled off the improbable second Super Bowl win of his career, he still would be no better than a Top Ten quarterback all-time looking in enviously at the Top Five. Few other elite quarterbacks have been great for as long as he has, and few of them have the records that he does -- but few of them have the brutal tendencies that he does to this day of forcing the football and trying too hard to make things happen. You live by being a gunslinger, you die by it also and the flip side of the reality that makes him a folk hero and a legend also makes him somebody that you have to be just a bit conflicted about having at the helm of your team in the clutch.
^ In trying to anticipate the oppressive media crush of manufactured Super Bowl storylines, a few come to mind. Tom Brady will now be carrying on his famous battle with the Manning family against the other brother. Given the fact that New York tends to break down (in large part) with so many fans rooting for the Mets and Jets (the newer franchises in town) and so many fans rooting for the Yankees and Giants (the old-line teams in town), the Super Bowl is going to pit a great many Yankee and Red Sox fans against each other (can we root for Mutually Assured Destruction?). I'm hard-pressed to conjure up a scenario that gives the Giants a serious chance for victory, but I will address the Super Bowl matchup in more detail at a later date.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Championship Sunday preview
By Rick Morris
The inescapable conclusion after last Sunday is that the stunning upsets we witnessed are preventing us from witnessing what could have been a much better Championship Sunday (the thought of this saddens me greatly – it’s one of my favorite days of the year and I love to have my friends over for a daylong feast of gridiron). Indy and
AFC Championship Game: The Patriots delivered a huge 38-14 beatdown back in September, at least momentarily taking the air out of the sails of a Charger franchise itching for a legitimate rivalry with the Team of the Decade after last year’s crushing playoff loss. In fairness, the Chargers were still adjusting to a new system after massive coaching changes coming into 2007 and were not ready to be pronounced as brutal failures under Norv Turner, as I and so many others did. Nevertheless, they still don’t stack up as well against the Pats as the Colts, who probably also would have lost but probably would have kept it closer.
NFC Championship Game: Call it heresy given the copious amounts of respect coming their way, but I’m still not very impressed with the Giants. The alpha and omega of their defense is a pass rush; that’s it. Giant discard Ryan Grant is the real deal, a legitimate superstar who had his first career-defining game last week in the massacre of
Monday, November 5, 2007
Midseason NFL rankings
By Rick Morris
As with our rankings that we published around the ¼ mark of the NFL season, we will utilize fantasy sports principles here in terms of separating the teams by tier. Just as it was at that point, it remains striking that more than half the league constitutes a vast middle level not separated by much, at least in terms of remaining playoff opportunities. Note by the records of the Steelers and Ravens that this is being published prior to the Week 9 Monday Night Football game.
TOP LEVEL: MUTANT SUPER-TEAMS
1.
2.
SECOND LEVEL: CERTAIN PLAYOFF TEAMS
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
THIRD LEVEL: POTENTIAL PLAYOFF TEAMS, ALL WITH SIGNIFICANT FLAWS
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
FOURTH LEVEL: HORRIBLE FOOTBALL
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
Additionally, to measure the cumulative strength of each division, we added up the above rankings of each team in a division to form a division power number. Keep in mind that the lower the number, the better.
1T. AFC South (37)
1T. NFC East (37)
3. AFC North (60)
4. NFC North (64)
5. NFC South (73)
6T. AFC West (83)
6T. AFC East (83)
8. NFC West (91)
NOTES: Clearly, top-to-bottom, the AFC South and NFC East are by far the deepest divisions in football at the moment. The AFC East is horrible outside of the Patriots, but their strength of schedule this year is still very tough due to also facing the tough AFC North and NFC East. I had forecast the NFC West to be football’s toughest and deepest coming into the season and they are by this measure by far the worst! In my defense, injuries have battered these teams disproportionately relative to other divisions, but I clearly overestimated how far along these young squads were as well. I maintain that the division will be very, very tough by 2008 or 2009. Also, for as much as the AFC has dominated the NFC in Super Bowl play over the last decade as well as interconference games, the public has had it drilled into its collective mind that the American Conference is far superior. Well, when the division totals are added together, the AFC comes out ahead by the slimmest of margins, 263-265. What is the moral of the story that you will not hear anywhere else in the media, at least for months to come? It is that the utter dominance of the Patriots and Colts has hidden the fact that the NFC has pulled very close to parity from top-to-bottom. Now, surely they don’t have a team capable of winning Super Bowl XLII, and perhaps XLIII, but just as we saw in the late 1990s, the tide is turning once again.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: On the occasion of the 100th post here at The FDH Lounge blog, I thank the readers who have catapulted us to a level I did not honestly think we would reach within three months (roughly at the level of the top one million websites on the Internet, according to Alexa.com). We have worked to bring the same diversity of topics you hear and see on The FDH Lounge Internet television program to this blog and we are happy and grateful that you are responding to it as you are.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Obligatory "Game of the Decade" prediction
By Rick Morris
In just over an hour, the teams engaged in this decade's greatest rivalry will face off in the first-ever meeting of teams both undefeated this late in the season. That makes this game the greatest and most anticipated yet between the teams and explains the hype that we haven't seen in the regular season since the annual Cowboy-49'er tilts of the early and mid-'90s.
I believe that the scoring will be lower than most believe, with the defenses being able to stand tall better than many predict. In the end, I see New England getting by, as this 2007 Patriot squad is on a short list already of the greatest teams of all time -- the 2007 Colts, although superior to their championship team of a year ago and arguably better than many teams to have won a Super Bowl, are not on that super-elevated level. As a lifelong Browns fan, I am chagrined to have to agree on the final score with Bill Cowher. 31-20 Pats.
On another note, the NFL's prohibition against showing games against a home team's broadcasts has never been shown to be more asinine than today. As this map illuminates, the areas around Cleveland and Houston are not able to receive this game on television. While the NHL's broadcast situation is a joke, the NFL's isn't much better if it can't assure the entire country of witnessing the key regular season matchup of our time.
In just over an hour, the teams engaged in this decade's greatest rivalry will face off in the first-ever meeting of teams both undefeated this late in the season. That makes this game the greatest and most anticipated yet between the teams and explains the hype that we haven't seen in the regular season since the annual Cowboy-49'er tilts of the early and mid-'90s.
I believe that the scoring will be lower than most believe, with the defenses being able to stand tall better than many predict. In the end, I see New England getting by, as this 2007 Patriot squad is on a short list already of the greatest teams of all time -- the 2007 Colts, although superior to their championship team of a year ago and arguably better than many teams to have won a Super Bowl, are not on that super-elevated level. As a lifelong Browns fan, I am chagrined to have to agree on the final score with Bill Cowher. 31-20 Pats.
On another note, the NFL's prohibition against showing games against a home team's broadcasts has never been shown to be more asinine than today. As this map illuminates, the areas around Cleveland and Houston are not able to receive this game on television. While the NHL's broadcast situation is a joke, the NFL's isn't much better if it can't assure the entire country of witnessing the key regular season matchup of our time.
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