NFL 2014

[Town Heretic]

What about Brady's performance changed anyone's opinion about him? It was a pretty average day for Brady really. A few touchdowns. A few INTs.

He has an average day and becomes the greatest ever.

While Brady is by no real metric the best ever, he had a much, much better than average day, posting a 110 rating. An 80+ is a good day. A 90+ is a great game. A 100+ is a fantastic outing. He's had a couple of those and never a bad game in his SB appearances. It's not on the level of Montana, but he's in a very rare group in terms of post season performance.

I'm listening to mike and mike
butler said they ran that play in practice
and
he got beat

belichick came up to him
and
said, you have to make that play

Of course he did. Bill knows every goal line play has to be executed perfectly or you give up points.

 

[tetelestai]

He has an average day and becomes the greatest ever.

His team was down 10 in the 4th quarter, and he led his team to two TD's with almost flawless passing.

He was way more than "average".

 

[Nick M]

Anybody think Johnny Manzeil's career is over before it ever got started? Somebody needs to change his diaper.

 

[Nick M]

His team was down 10 in the 4th quarter, and he led his team to two TD's with almost flawless passing.

He was way more than "average".

Two picks is not almost flawless. I was surprised a bit at the strategy. It isn't like the Seahawks went 16-0. San Francisco punched them in the mouth and showed run right at them is the best choice.

I would not have guessed Brady to have 27 attempts by halftime. I do think he played great but not nearly flawless.

 

[Nick M]

While Brady is by no real metric the best ever, he had a much, much better than average day, posting a 110 rating. An 80+ is a good day. A 90+ is a great game. A 100+ is a fantastic outing. He's had a couple of those and never a bad game in his SB appearances. It's not on the level of Montana, but he's in a very rare group in terms of post season performance.

Yep. In 4 games he threw 11 TDs and 0 interceptions. Let me know when another QB starts in 4 Super Bowls and has a goose egg in that column.

And as bad as Bradshaw played in the regular season, he was much better in the championship game.

In Jim Kelly's 4 games, he threw 2 TDs and 7 picks. Yeah, it would have helped if Thurman Thomas didn't have a case of the fumbles putting Buffalo in bad spots over and over.

Elway has 3 TDs and 8 picks in the big game.

And my hero Dan Marion threw so many playoff picks, he couldn't get to the SB but once.

 

[Town Heretic]

5 Sports Notes

1. With around seven hundred thousand responses all but the New England states choose Seahawks lose Super Bowl over Pats win Super Bowl. It's a 60/40 split, to be fair overall, but maybe that's why an AFC win left me flat this time around. I don't ever recall that feeling in a SB before. Dejection, sure. Elation, now and then.

2. Now when the question is: Would Marshawn Lynch have scored the go-ahead TD if given three chances from the 1-yard line 92% of the country, including the New England states, admit the first poll question was answered like a homer by 32% of those on the Pats bandwagon and that Lynch would likely have scored, giving us a different (if to my mind less desirable) outcome.

3. With 73k votes, 44% say Brady best ever. Or 66% say someone else. To me he's demonstrably second in big games and in my top five overall at the position.

4. More place Bill as the best coach ever than the field (if by a 37/63 margin). I suppose they never heard of Gibbs, who won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks, none of whom are in the Hall of Fame. Walsh probably died before half the people responding were born. :mmph:

5. When asked which of the two teams is more likely to return to the Super Bowl, 53% said Seattle, 47% New England.


Extra point: Speaking of questionable judgements, Polian's HOF inclusion had to sit well with Irsay, don't you think? Well, he's still a bust as an owner while the guy he fired is about to have a bust in Canton.

Oh, and "How 'bout them Cowboys?" lain:

 

[Town Heretic]

Yep. In 4 games he threw 11 TDs and 0 interceptions. Let me know when another QB starts in 4 Super Bowls and has a goose egg in that column.

And only the worst of the four performances by Montana is outshone by this recent and best of Brady's.

And as bad as Bradshaw played in the regular season, he was much better in the championship game.

A pure home run hitter whose stats otherwise were generally cringe worthy.

In Jim Kelly's 4 games, he threw 2 TDs and 7 picks. Yeah, it would have helped if Thurman Thomas didn't have a case of the fumbles putting Buffalo in bad spots over and over.

If they win the first Super Bowl I think it's a different Bills team. People forget they were ahead of the Cowboys at halftime in the SB too. But they were psychologically fragile.

Elway has 3 TDs and 8 picks in the big game.

To be fair, if he'd had Mike early to shape him he might have been incredible. He was pretty good with only a fraction of his old talent at the end.

And my hero Dan Marion threw so many playoff picks, he couldn't get to the SB but once.

Dan was too good for his own good, keeping the team out of position to acquire what he needed to have a real shot at doing much. Too bad, really. Great qb.

 

[chrysostom]

C'MON MAN!

stop beating it

the horse is dead
and
it is time to move on to

the greatest event in sports history

 

[Town Heretic]

Other news and notes:

Warren Sap has been fired from the NFL network following an arrest for an altercation and solicitation of prostitution.

Johnny Football is now Johnny rehab, surprising nearly no one, or his fan club, but I repeat myself.

 

[tetelestai]

Two picks is not almost flawless.

I said he was almost flawless in the 4th quarter on his last two scoring drives.

 

[tetelestai]

Bill Belichick was photographed wearing a "Don’t Tread on Me” T-shirt on his way to the Super Bowl.

I guess this means the Patriots won't get invited to the White House.

I'm also surprised he hasn't been labeled a terrorist in a state like Massachusetts for wearing such a T-shirt.

 

[Nick M]

To be fair, if he'd had Mike early to shape him he might have been incredible. He was pretty good with only a fraction of his old talent at the end.

He has said it himself. He made bad decisions.

Speaking of which, I don't see many saying it. I see "worst call in history". Maybe. But Wilson made a bad decision. Normally he makes better choices. The conventional wisdom is the DB made a great play. Sure, he did. But the QB is supposed to see them cheating up like that and do something. Sometimes you need to tuck and run, especially when you are as mobile as he is.

 

[Nick M]

Other news and notes:

Warren Sap has been fired from the NFL network following an arrest for an altercation and solicitation of prostitution.

ESPN radio had it at solicitation and abuse. So he slapped her around? I guess you can take a player out of The U, but you can't take The U out of the player. What a pathetic human being.

 

[Town Heretic]

He has said it himself. He made bad decisions.

Which are more likely when you're playing outside of the more rigid structure of someone like Mike.

Speaking of which, I don't see many saying it. I see "worst call in history". Maybe. But Wilson made a bad decision. Normally he makes better choices. The conventional wisdom is the DB made a great play. Sure, he did. But the QB is supposed to see them cheating up like that and do something. Sometimes you need to tuck and run, especially when you are as mobile as he is.

Goes back to the coach. You should put your qb, especially a young one, in the best position to make the play you need. At the very least it should have been a play action pass, giving him a decoy and the chance to either find an open receiver or use his legs.

 

[The Berean]

That works both ways.

The Steelers were two injuries away from 6 titles in 8 years, and the Patriots were two ridiculous catches away from 5 titles in 7 years.

If you look back at the dynasties, the Steelers from the 70's have 9 players, and their head coach in the HOF.

None of the other dynasties come close, or will come close to having that many players in the HOF.

IMO, that's proof the Steelers of the 70's were the greatest team ever.

Well, some of those Steelers clearly did not deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Lynn Swann is one of the worst selections in the history of the Hall of Fame. He basically got in because he had a great Super Bowl. Besides we are talking about team success. The Packers of the 1960's had a great run. No one has matched their five titles in seven years.

 

[Nick M]

Which are more likely when you're playing outside of the more rigid structure of someone like Mike.

And having a healthy Bobby Humphrey would have been very useful, even if only for the NFL average of 5 years. Or so I read on the average NFL career for a RB.

The Packers of the 1960's had a great run. No one has matched their five titles in seven years.

He will not acknowledge professional football before Jan 12, 1975 no matter how much he is pressed.

 

[tetelestai]

No one has matched their five titles in seven years.

It's not apples to apples.

When they won their first two championships they played ONE postseason game each year. When they won their next two, they played TWO postseason games each year.

In the Super Bowl era, teams have to win a minimum of three postseason games to be champion.

The Packers won a total of 6 postseason games when they won their first 4 championships in the 60's

The Steelers had to win 12 postseason games to win their first 4 championships in the 70's.

It was a lot different before the merger in 1970.

 

[tetelestai]

He will not acknowledge professional football before Jan 12, 1975 no matter how much he is pressed.

I was born in 1964, the merger happened in 1970. Therefore, I don't really care what happened before the Super Bowl Era because it was a lot different, and I wasn't alive and/or was too young to watch it.

NFL football really wasn't that popular before the Super Bowl Era. Baseball was king. The NFL couldn't even sellout either of the first two Super Bowls.

It all changed with the merger, the Super Bowls, Monday Night Football, etc.

 

[Town Heretic]

That's why I only count teams that make the Super Bowl from the Wildcard position. It's unfair to credit teams who play one game less. Or some such nonsense...lain:

 

[tetelestai]

The Packers of the 1960's

Name one player from the 60's Packers that is one of the all-time greats?

You won't find Bart Starr on any Top-10 QB's of all time lists.

You won't find Paul Hornung or Jim Taylor in a "greatest running backs" list.

You won't find Ray Nitschke in a "greatest linebackers" conversation.

Same thing for Forrest Greg, Willie Davis, or any other player on those teams.

Their coach (Vince Lombardi) is the most famous person from those teams.