Inside the NFL

[letekro]

Amazing work by NFL Films, even by their standards.

Brady and Wilfork mic'd.

Great stuff with Boley telling the Giants early that Gronk was only a decoy, BB telling the D to make MAnning throw it to Manningham right before the final drive, and BOB telling Brady that they were going to let the Giants score.

Something no one mentioned but should have: John Parry and crew were tremendous. The safety was a gutsy call (and the right one). The quarterbacks were drilled on several occasions, including in the head, and not a single RTP call. Defenders were allowed to battle with receivers for the ball without PI. It made be nostalgic for old time (pre-Goodell) football.

Collinsworth and Simms said the Patriots were having great success with the spread but went away from it for some reason and it cost them.

 

[Keyser Söze]

BOB is an idiot an started to run Woodhead up the middle.

 

[jcdavey]

agree that the game was called great

the refs had a couple PI calls they could have called on #29 of NE but they let it go because it was super close

 

[reflexblue]

Collinsworth and Simms said the Patriots were having great success with the spread but went away from it for some reason and it cost them.

BOB's parting Gift to Us.

 

[Harry Yelreh]

Something no one mentioned but should have: John Parry and crew were tremendous. The safety was a gutsy call (and the right one).

I had no problem with it, and yet at the same time, we've all almost certainly seen tons of unquestionably intentional grounding plays far worse that weren't flagged. Oh, well. It's a judgment call, and the play was what it was. I know a lot of people have pointed out how crucial that 2 points ended up being, but for me, mostly it was ultimately just a foreshadowing of how the rest of the night was going to go.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

BOB is an idiot an started to run Woodhead up the middle.

Penn State better be prepared to win 3 or 4 games next season...O'Brien is going to make Charlie Weis's collegiate coaching career at ND look like Bear Bryant in Alabama

 

[cincipatsfan]

Penn State better be prepared to win 3 or 4 games next season...O'Brien is going to make Charlie Weis's collegiate coaching career at ND look like Bear Bryant in Alabama

That's OK

GO BUCS

 

[Sivy]

I am a high school football ref, that safety was a terrible call. There is no way for them to know if there was a miss communication and Brady thought someone was suppose to run deep.

 

[sevengables_2207]

Too bad I do not get Showtime.

I would have loved to have seen this. NFL Films does such a great job.

 

[Uncle Rico]

agree that the game was called great

the refs had a couple PI calls they could have called on #29 of NE but they let it go because it was super close

Yup. Let 'em play. Seems to me they should think about calling games this way in the regular season too. Why call 'em one way in season, and a different way in the playoffs?

 

[letekro]

I am a high school football ref, that safety was a terrible call. There is no way for them to know if there was a miss communication and Brady thought someone was suppose to run deep.

Intent is not a factor, at least in the NFL. There was no receiver in the area, and he threw it under duress in the pocket. Intentional grounding. On the show, Brady explains to BOB that he felt Tuck and had nowhere to go with the ball.

 

[SVN]

if you can digest it ..watch this...i can't so i will skip this.

Sound Fx on Super Bowl - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

 

[upstater1]

Collinsworth and Simms said the Patriots were having great success with the spread but went away from it for some reason and it cost them.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES, My heart sank when they changed up after getting to the Giants 45 on the Welker-Brady botched pass drive.

I honestly thought that was the game right there, BOB deciding to take the air out of the ball with 4 minutes left.

Press it, no huddle, keep the pressure on. You job when up 2? SCORE A TD!!!!!

 

[upstater1]

Intent is not a factor, at least in the NFL. There was no receiver in the area, and he threw it under duress in the pocket. Intentional grounding. On the show, Brady explains to BOB that he felt Tuck and had nowhere to go with the ball.

QBs always throw the ball away when they feel and pressure and have no where to go with it.

You say there was no receiver area but the ball traveled directly over Deion Branch's head (if it had been thrown on a line it would have hit Branch on the noggin) and landed 15 yards past him. That happens on every throwaway to the sideline where the ball says 15 yards beyond the WR and sometimes into the stands.

In fact, I'd argue that there is absolutely no intention of completing a pass when you chuck it high into the sidelines. Whereas when you loft it 15 yards beyond your receiver downfield, there's more a chance of completion (and interception) if your receiver turns upfield.

 

[condon84]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES, My heart sank when they changed up after getting to the Giants 45 on the Welker-Brady botched pass drive.

I honestly thought that was the game right there, BOB deciding to take the air out of the ball with 4 minutes left.

Press it, no huddle, keep the pressure on. You job when up 2? SCORE A TD!!!!!

We played not to lose man. I don't know why we do this in big games when we go balls out on regular season games until the 60th minute. Is this Belichick's call? I hope with BOB gone and McD taking over, the lesson has been learned.

 

[Mike in 333]

Crap. Sounds like I may have to watch it. I planned not to watch any sports coverage for at least a week since it's way too painful to listen to the usual gang of idiots expound on their personal biases (none of which are pro Patriot). That said, maybe I'll just DVR it and watch it in a few days. I still have the game on the DVR which surprises me but the pain is fading so I may even watch some of that someday.

 

[letekro]

QBs always throw the ball away when they feel and pressure and have no where to go with it.

You say there was no receiver area but the ball traveled directly over Deion Branch's head (if it had been thrown on a line it would have hit Branch on the noggin) and landed 15 yards past him. That happens on every throwaway to the sideline where the ball says 15 yards beyond the WR and sometimes into the stands.

In fact, I'd argue that there is absolutely no intention of completing a pass when you chuck it high into the sidelines. Whereas when you loft it 15 yards beyond your receiver downfield, there's more a chance of completion (and interception) if your receiver turns upfield.

I hear what you're saying, but the call was correct in a technical sense and it also upheld the spirit of the rule, which is to not give the quarterback an out if he is about to get sacked in the pocket. The receivers were locked down on that play and if he threw it near one there was a good chance it would have been tipped or picked.

 

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

I hear what you're saying, but the call was correct in a technical sense and it also upheld the spirit of the rule, which is to not give the quarterback an out if he is about to get sacked in the pocket. The receivers were locked down on that play and if he threw it near one there was a good chance it would have been tipped or picked.

Why should that one rule be enforced as technically correct and by the spirit of the rule and not the others that they were letting slide? How does enforcing one rule, and only once for that matter, by the book and then letting a bunch of other crap slide equate to a good job by the refs? My recollection might not be correct, but I believe Manning threw two passes under pressure which he clearly had no intent of completing and didn't land withing 10 yds of receivers. To me both those passes clearly fall under the intent and definition in the rule.

I don't think it's particularly gutsy to call a rule by the book in one case simply because it's a big play and then letting stuff slide the rest of the time. This makes me question if they wouldn't have copped out if there were other big plays with possible penalties.

 

[upstater1]

I hear what you're saying, but the call was correct in a technical sense and it also upheld the spirit of the rule, which is to not give the quarterback an out if he is about to get sacked in the pocket. The receivers were locked down on that play and if he threw it near one there was a good chance it would have been tipped or picked.

But that happens all the time with no call.

Belichick, who rarely complains, had a talk with Parry about it. Belichick thought it was a bad call and reading into what he said, I believe he agrees with my assessment. He told Parry that even though Brady overthrew him, there was a man (Branch) coming in the area. Belichick's position sounded to me as though he was saying that the call may be correct according to the letter of the law, it's a bad call precisely because it focuses on intent (Brady throwing the ball away) rather than actuality (the ball was in line with a receiver but overthrown).

 

[upstater1]

Why should that one rule be enforced as technically correct and by the spirit of the rule and not the others that they were letting slide? How does enforcing one rule, and only once for that matter, by the book and then letting a bunch of other crap slide equate to a good job by the refs? My recollection might not be correct, but I believe Manning threw two passes under pressure which he clearly had no intent of completing and didn't land withing 10 yds of receivers. To me both those passes clearly fall under the intent and definition in the rule.

I don't think it's particularly gutsy to call a rule by the book in one case simply because it's a big play and then letting stuff slide the rest of the time. This makes me question if they wouldn't have copped out if there were other big plays with possible penalties.

Manning absolutely did that.

And although I don't think he should have gotten a flag, I can't see how sailing the ball into the stands is permissable but overthrowing in the field is not.

Can someone explain that to me?