There ya go. Defense wins titles.
Nest Stop HOUSTON.
There ya go. Defense wins titles.
Nest Stop HOUSTON.
Yaaaay Nest! Go Skins!
hey I'm a bit drunk giff me a break mmmkay?
Yawohl, I giff you ein break! Ein Bier bitte! :)
Jeez, tell me about it. As a native Bostonian abroad, the entire night was spent drinking American tourists under the table at the local Dublin sports bar, interrupted only by the frequent "booyeah"-ing necessitated by my heritage. I tried to climb into three obviously occupied taxis before I found one to take me home. However, a good game: the Pats have the Super Bowl in the bag.
That game blew. Because the Colts sucked.
I don't think the score reflected the game, 34-14 is more like it.
Crypty you are still over there? Man, the Sox and Pats this year and you have to watch it in German?!?
The Colts sucked cuz the Pats D rocked. There wasn't alot of dropped passes, they were converting 3rd downs, but as ususal the D is just clutch. Ty Law with 3 Ints, - just saw that Manning from Car. just got three also- bunch of hurries a few sacks (J Green? There is a name not called often). Rodney's End zone Int changed the game.
That said, with 50 seconds left on the clock and up by 10, Payton still made me just a wee bit nervous.
So that is 14 in a row, matching the 14 in a row of the 72 'Fins.
As of now it is looking like Carolina, I would have ratherd the Eagles, just cuz the look kinda lame.
Midnight: Halt den Mund!
I'm not so sure about that. The Panthers look like the Patriots of two years ago. I think they'll win.Originally Posted by DrCrypt
I agree with this - the Panthers looked damn good against the Eagles. It's going to be a battle of D versus D this Super Bowl. I can't wait.I'm not so sure about that. The Panthers look like the Patriots of two years ago. I think they'll win.
Oh, and that Goal Line run where DeShaun Foster broke 6 or 7 tackles and turned what should have been a blown play into a score was a goddamned thing of beauty.
Grundy: Der Panthers Uber Alles!
Carolina played much better football yesterday, the Patriots depended on turnovers coupled with good defense to win. Ultimately the Colts, frankly, beat themselves. They choked, didn't execute, made crucial errors (stop throwing anywhere near Ty Law dammit!) (what was up with that punt snap?!?). Despite that the Pats couldn't manage more than a single TD in all those Red Zone attempts? That's scary because the Colts D isn't THAT good. By then end the Patriots came dangerously close to throwing away all that good luck and going into OT.
Looks like Carolina is going to win next week folks, unless the Patriots get it together (Belicheck is capable of that). You can't win a Superbowl with the kicker! Looks like a coaching battle to me because Carolina proves my point that a great coach can take a mediocre team anywhere.
That's not fair. The Panthers have great players. The OL is one of the best in football, even if people don't know their names. The DL IS the best in the NFL. Davis and Foster are both great RBs (I thought Foster should have been a first round pick. He was incredible at UCLA). Analysts have been acting like this Panthers team is a fluke all year and it is annoying. I picked them to win the NFC south before the season started. They had everything in place last year except a half-decent QB. Now they have that. Delhomme is cool under pressure and doesn't make a lot of mistakes. The Patriots could change that, of course, but either way it should be a great game and the Panthers have a great shot.
I agree that Fox is a good coach, but I disagree that he is doing it with a mediocre team.
No offense intended to Carolina's players... but aren't they a bunch of cast offs, arena and Euopean league players, and rookies? Sure, they have talent, but I think it takes a fucking great coach to get a disparate group like that to play this well together, with a QB who's played backup all his life. Anyway, this group, to me at least, came out of nowhere playing like they've been winning together for years.
I would say that Carolina played much better football as a team overall, but against a much weaker team. I don't know if the facts support me on this, but my guts say the Eagles are a terribly overrated team that should not have been in the playoffs, nevermind the NFC championship game. They have been for years. And while I don't agree with Rush Limbaugh on politics, I readily agreed that McNabb is an overrated quarterback, at least these last few seasons. Maybe he was a breath of fresh air when he first came to the league, but I feel that faded. I don't think McNabb can win Philly a super bowl just as I don't think McNair can win the Titans a super bowl. Good scramblers and hearts of champions that make them play better than they actually are. But it will probably get called out when it really counts.
Well, Delhomme backed up Kurt Warner who played pretty good for a couple of seasons... and don't get me started on Stephen Davis, who should be part of the new Joe Gibbs era Redskins, DAMMIT!!!
I agree with you on the Eagles. They HAVE been overrated all year. but they still won a lot of games, and that means something. It didn't surprise me that they lots (obviously). If they HAD made the superbowl, I think the Patriots would have destroyed them. But it is NOT McNabb's fault. HE could get them there, IF they would give him some backup (WRs in particular). Their WRs stink...I don't think any of them could play for teams like the Colts, Titans, Rams, and MANY more. As for McNair, did you see him play when he was healthy (well before the playoffs)? He is as good a passer as anyone in the league. He is NOT a scrambling QB. He is a QB who can scramble. He is more accurate than McNabb. While QB ratings are a bit overrated, check his. It was the best in the NFL this year. He can throw it. He won't be the reason the Titans don't go all the way (assuming they don't).
A scrambling QB is an overrated commodity, I agree. But none of them would be playing if they couldn't pass, and getting to championship games (or even the playoffs) means something in the NFL. McNabb and McNair have nothing to prove, in my book. Manning hasn't gotten to a superbowl, and he is still a great QB. Lots of QBs don't make it. They aren't the only players on the team.
See, to me, the Eagles winning a lot of games doesn't mean anything (part of what I was talking about with the facts not backing me up). It just reinforces bad habits. They win a lot of games, so they look at their formula and decide it's good but needs tweaking. In my mind, the Eagles need an overhaul. Their WR's suck, their running backs seem very inconsistent, McNabb can move to create opportunity, but he seems off the mark more than he his on it. Very inaccurate. Defense is weak, secondary has big names that don't seem to consistently back up their names with performance.
McNair may not be a scrambling quarterback per se at this point, but he definitely gets a lot of yardage on the ground compared to most quarterbacks, or he did before he got turned into a cripple with his jillion injuries he often plays through. His passer rating was very good this year, but still seems to make stupid decisions. Bret Farve has been doing this more and more each year since he won the super bowl. It doesn't help that the Titans stick with Eddie George at RB. So I feel that either the Titans need to dump Eddie George for a real threat at RB that allows McNair more leeway, or the Titans need to dump McNair for a QB that can really explode and take pressure off the running game. But in the end, all I have is this gut feeling that McNair doesn't have what it takes to win a super bowl.
The Eagles, as a team were overrated, yes. But McNabb wasn't, just look at his numbers from October this year on. Rush Limbaugh made an idiotic statement and McNabb ground it in his face by being, pretty much, the player who took his team to the NFC championship this year.
Truth is the Eagles were much stronger last year and the year before. This year they overperformed.
The fact that many of the players were cast-offs makes for a great story, but don't rush to judgment on their ability to play. Thay have a great offensive line, and any coach will tell you a line lives and dies by the athleticism of its linemen. The Redskins loss of Davis to Carolina was denounced by analysts as a terrible decision on Washington's part before Davis ever took a snap in a Panthers uniform, and his numbers, Pro Bowl honor, and where he helped take his team is proof of that. Steve Smith is one of the best WRs in the league, and Mushin Muhammad has matured into a solid starter as well. Smith and Muhammad are as solid a WR pair there is in the league; their ability to get open and fight for the ball (especially in the end zone; how many post-season TDs were made by them purely by the virtue of them out-playing the D for them?). The bench for the running and passing game is deep. Ricky Proehl, Kevin Dyson, DeShaun Foster, Brad Hoover, these are all very good players. Jake Delhomme did nothing all year but methodically prove everyone wrong about his abilities or lack thereof. He isn't perfect, but it has been his play, not just what the coaches conservatively set up for him to modestly achieve, that has won them games. His play, as good as any QB, beat the Bucs and Rams in OT this year, to name a few. Likewise, the defense is unquestionably as good as any this year, again starting with the line, the best in football. Coaching does play a big part in this unit, they will change their tactics quite dramatically over the course of the game if need be, but they have the players to do that. You'll notice, they get better penetration later in the game still using the front four, a rarity in the league. Ricky Manning is the third string CB, promoted due to injury. The D has also been playing without two other star players, Kavika Pittman and Mark Fields. This team is deep, talented, and does not know the meaning of the word quit. They have every conceivable tool a team needs except for veteran play from some of its starters and respect (which, in fact, I believe they use to their fullest advantage).
Of course, Bill Belicheck is at least one of the three best coaches in the league, if not the best. The Patriots' run defense finished 4th overall, and it's no mystery how athletic their LBs and secondary are. However, Dalls' run D finished 3rd, so it's no foregone conclusion that that NE will be able to stop the Panther's running game (especially since nobody has yet). Some have wondered what answer the Panthers will have for the Patriots' five-wide sets, which Indy's D did not have an answer for. It will come down to that pass rush (another thing Indy didn't have). Carolina showed against St. Louis that an elite passing game does not scare them, and that was in a hostile stadium. Vinatieri as as good as you'll ever find, Kasay not so much. Todd Sauerbrun earned a Pro Bowl with his ability, while NE is at the bottom of the league in punting. Having played in the Super Bowl before is a big advantage on the Patriots behalf, however.
Still, the teams match up pretty evenly. Both possess the ability to make their opponents play terribly on both sides of the ball.
Every time a Cleveland Browns' fan reads this sentiment (and Lord knows we'll be reading it a lot in the next two weeks), it's like yet another knife plunged into our guts and twisted. Not that it's not true, it is. That's what makes it hurt so much. But it's like he used his stint with the Browns to make every mistake a head coach could make and then the bastard, unlike 99% of other coaches, had the nerve to learn from his mistakes.
Bill, I'm not underestimating their ability to play, I think it's a testament to how great an off-the-field coach Fox is that they play so well as a team. The Vikings have some great athletes but do they play well as a team? Nope.
My mistake. I thought you were stating they were getting by purely on the virtue of great coaching.
Andrew, I thought you knew something about football. The Colts beat themselves? Well, that's the 14th team in a row someone said, "well, the other team played bad...the Patriots just happened to be there." Give me a fricking break. You know how many other teams have won 14 in a row? Just the undefeated Dolphins of '72. Let's pay a little respect to a great team, please.
And the second comment you made that made my eyes roll so far back that I had to pick them up off the ground was, "you can't win a Superbowl with the kicker". Were you in a coma the last time the Pats were in the superbowl? Does the name Scott Norwood mean anything to you? Anything?
The problem with McNabb is that he can't always beat you with his arm. He's a good passer, but not a great one.
The Eagles were better last year. The entire NFC is suspect this year.
Here are some fun Pats stats:
Touchdowns allowed this season: 23
Takeaways: NE: +17 (#1)(Car -5!)
INTS: 29 (#1 in the NFL)
Points Allowed:14.9 (#1)(Car 19)
Wins in a row:14. Fourteen. One other team in NFL history has done that.Nuff said. If you can't appreciate that fine...personally I can't wait for the DVD to watch again and again and again... Lessie- both MVPs TWICE. Beat the #1 Defense, best record vs teams in the playoffs and with winning records. Yep all luck. If that is luck, I hope some wears off on the rest of NE and we can get some lucky warm fricking weather- or maybe a Red Sox World Series win.Maybe Brady and L.Milloy can come back and play for the Sox....
The Colts beat themselves. Uh yeah, 4 Ints 4 sacks that was just luck. See the +17 up there^? Defense Wins titles. Offense sells seats. You think that it was just bad playing by Payton that ty law and Harrison totally screwed with Payton's head? Ty Law lining up as a Safety with Harrision on Harrision baited Manning TWICE. The Pats have so much depth that they pull thier super nose tackle(Washington) and put in a second year player who gets 3 sacks. Guess that is another position that doesn't need to be drafted for. If R. Colvin din't screw up his hip in game 3 I'd bet he would have broken the single season sack record on this team. He was averaging 2 sacks a game from preseason on.
I can understand how the rest of the country doesn't get it. We have no Jerry Rice, Payton Manning, or Ray Lewis. Our Harrision, Law, Bruschi,Seymour,Brown,Brady,Wilson,B.Johnson,Washi ngton,Centers,Faulk have no Chunky soup contracts or do stupid rap albums, or kill people. All are probowlers in every New Englanders eyes...no I take that back...who gives a shit about the pro bowl. We got the superbowl. Again.
Rather watch that game emotionally involved than that Hawaii touch game. Besides that damn sand almost killed one of our RB's a few years ago.
In Belicheck we trust. Hope this guy coaches here until he retires.
Did I mention that it only gets better? Look at our draft picks for next year. Heh. Big smile...BIG Smile. After hwo the 2002/3 rookies worked out I can't wait to see what gem they find that no one wants this time. And we haven't even seen last years 1st round pick play yet. Let him learn...then unleash him.
One other thing- Carolina scares me far more than Indy did. Same with the Titans.
I seem to have pissed off the Pat fans. That's fine, they can prove me wrong in two weeks. :wink: Look, I don't care. I'm just hoping for a good game... I think this is a great match-up.
Still, if I were a die-hard Pat fan I would be a bit nervous about the lack of Red Zone production. With the opportunities the Pats had Sunday should have been a HUGE blowout, rather than something that went down to 1:20 in the 4th before being truly decided. In Houston you're playing a team that does score Touch Downs and doesn't make mistakes - and they have a wily coach. Most football experts will tell you that TDs are far more important than Figgies.
14 wins in a row is a heck of an achievement. And I've been saying that Belichick is a great freaking coach throughout this thread.
I hear you, but as usual with the Pats if they are ahead...which they were all game...well, which they have been since Nov 30th...they play very close to the vest. points are points. When they need to open it up they do...like the last indy game.
The Patriots are a good team and they did beat the Titans and Colts, but both those teams also beat themselves...a bit. YES the Patriots had a lot to do with it, but they didn't cause all those stupid Titans penalties. And they didn't cause Manning to start throwing inaccurately (the pass rush WAS good, but there was more going on there, IMO). Manning looked bad. A lot of it was the Pats, but a lot of it was Manning. And the Colts defense looked like crap at several points. So did the Titans defense, for that matter.
The Panthers defense is better...quite possibly the best the Patriots will play this year. They will be able to put pressure on Brady and, despite what so many analysts seem to think, Brady is not a great QB. He is good, yes, but not great. There are at least 15 other QBs in the NFL that could win in his position. He doesn't score much, but he does a great job not making mistakes. He doesn't go deep much, but when he does it is effective because of that very tendency. He has WRs that are pretty good at getting YAC after those short passes. I am curious to see whether or not they will be able to score in the redzone. That offense is suspect, and a good pass rush may be able to squash it. That said, they can be very efficient at times, and the Panthers D MIGHT get frustrated by that. I just don't think so.
Should be a great defensive game either way though, and I LOVE defensive games. I could watch 21-14 games all season long and be in heaven, as long as they were the result of good defensive play rather than poor offensive.
I love it when people ignore little things like stats. 25 tds with 13 ints with 4,000 yards passing? 14 wins in a row with little to no running game? His best receiver, TroBro, misses more than a month of games? Please, identify the FIFTEEN other quarterbacks that could win in his position. I'm dying to know who these guys are. :evil:They will be able to put pressure on Brady and, despite what so many analysts seem to think, Brady is not a great QB.......There are at least 15 other QBs in the NFL that could win in his position.
Here's my prediction: Delhomme will be lost in the Belicheck twilight zone. People will blitz when he reads zone, and there will be 7 men in coverage when he thinks someone is open. Ted Washington will muck up the middle and Stephen Davis and his backups will have a hard time running over people like they did in Philly. Brady will lacerate their defense, and he'll use their energy against them with wide out screens, play actions and snap counts. They'll kick field goals, a lot of them. And in the end, they won't need Adam to seal the game away because they're going to win by 30 points.
Pats 33 Panthers 3
I'll be back to gloat next week.
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