Super Bowl XXXVIII In-Game-Thread

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

They're never easy in the NFL, unless it's a 45 pt win of course, but seriously I don't think it'll be too bad watching. Maybe the Giants score 7 early and that "sigh here we go" factor kicks in, but I don't think the game will stay neck and neck.

15-20 years ago, what separated the good from the elite was the PT DIFFERENTIAL MARGIN. It seemed like all the "elite" teams were blowing their opponents away every week.

However-it's just a different NFL now-you will rarely find an "elite" team that kills their opponents every week, and 90% of the BAD teams out there are losing games by a TD or less every week(i.e. the Jets and Eagles).

 

[jbb9s]

I don't know about any of you, but I remember being really confident that the Pats would pull it out. Even when they were down 22-21 with a little over 6 minutes to go. I was never really all that scared.

wasn't that the first time they had been behind since before Thanksgiving? What kind of record is that for time ahead (tied to begin game)? Also, this is part of a bigger streak of games to score first. What did that end up at? About 20?

 

[Wildo7]

The Faulk 2 pt conversion was the same statue-of-liberty type play that they ran in Jax a couple weeks ago except Brady hung on to the ball and threw to Welker. I completely forgot about that. Also Eugene Wilson getting tooled by Steve Smith for that huge Delhomme bomb was ugly foreshadowing.

 

[MRBLAZE]

15-20 years ago, what separated the good from the elite was the PT DIFFERENTIAL MARGIN. It seemed like all the "elite" teams were blowing their opponents away every week.

However-it's just a different NFL now-you will rarely find an "elite" team that kills their opponents every week, and 90% of the BAD teams out there are losing games by a TD or less every week(i.e. the Jets and Eagles).

Yep, even Miami lost 6-7 games by a field goal.

 

[jbb9s]

The Faulk 2 pt conversion was the same statue-of-liberty type play that they ran in Jax a couple weeks ago except Brady hung on to the ball and threw to Welker. I completely forgot about that. Also Eugene Wilson getting tooled by Steve Smith for that huge Delhomme bomb was ugly foreshadowing.

Actually Faulk ran the exact same play in SD last year to tie that game!

 

[Wildo7]

Actually Faulk ran the exact same play in SD last year to tie that game!

I do remember that, I just didn't remember that they used it that long ago. changing it up against Jax was perfect, obviously.

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

Yep, even Miami lost 6-7 games by a field goal.

In this NEW NFL with FA, the salary cap, et al, the talent on the 53 man roster will be potentially thin for all of these teams, which is probably why the playing field has evened out.

This is why COACHING has become extremely important in this era. Of course, it's always been the most important thing, but this priority has gone up a few big notches now.

Which is why I don't buy all this "such and such team will be a force in the future because all of their games this year have been close and never were blowouts". This is bull, really-the big reason why the Jets lost alot of games was b/c Mangini made alot of coaching blunders. Ditto Philly-Andy Reid's terrible clock management skills and in-game management has slowly but surely came back to bite him in the arse.

 

[Water Boy]

I completely forgot about the Larry Centers era in New England. It blew me away when I saw him lined up in the backfield.

 

[Water Boy]

How about Willie McG & David Givens? They were pretty big in this game too.

My favorite Willie Mac moment was on the openning kick-off. I believe it was Pass (No. 35) on the coverage team who got into a scrum with another player after the whistle. Don Davis picked up Pass and tried to get him to disengage from going after the other player. Pass would not relent until 'The Enforcer' (Willie Mac) got in his face and presumably told him to get the F off the field before he draws a penalty.

 

[Bertil]

That game was a heart attack. If I was 70 years old, I would not have survived it. I was SO nervous throughout the entire second half. Still to this day I would have to say it's the best game I've ever seen in any sport, edging out Game 6 in '75 by a hair. Of course I was only a kid watching the WS from the hallway so that my parents wouldn't know I was there. At least for SB 38 I could expend the nervous energy by pacing and shouting, much to the dismasy of my wife.

 

[BeantownRox]

its too bad ty law and deion branch didnt get a chance to be part of...... EVER!

Dont forget Lawyer Milloy and Willie McGinest!

And Adam ><

 

[neuronet]

Awesome thread.

Why is the SB so much longer than regular games? TV time outs?

 

[Pats Fanatic]

I do remember that, I just didn't remember that they used it that long ago. changing it up against Jax was perfect, obviously.

Actually they used it against the Rams in 2002 SB also. It go a few yards to get in better position to kick a FG in the 3 quarter.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

The thing that's interesting about that game is that everyone remembers Kasay kicking it out of bounds, but very few remember that we promptly took a 10 yard pently two plays later and gave ourselves a 1st and 20 -- so it was hardly like the team just needed to pick up a few yards from the 40 to get in range.

If I had to pick one single play that most exemplifies the New England Patriots (and Troy Brown) in the Brady Belichick era, it would be the play right after Troy took the 10 yard penalty. He made a brilliant catch that he had no business catching and made it 2d and manageable. It was just a classic case of the team not getting down on itself, not pis*ing and moaning about a call, and just going out and taking the situation as it presented itself and making a big play.

That play, and the play where Redmond is able to just barely touch the ball out of bounds during the final drive of super bowl 36 are probably my all time favorite plays that nobody ever talks about.

 

[Oswlek]

The thing that's interesting about that game is that everyone remembers Kasay kicking it out of bounds, but very few remember that we promptly took a 10 yard pently two plays later and gave ourselves a 1st and 20 -- so it was hardly like the team just needed to pick up a few yards from the 40 to get in range.

If I had to pick one single play that most exemplifies the New England Patriots (and Troy Brown) in the Brady Belichick era, it would be the play right after Troy took the 10 yard penalty. He made a brilliant catch that he had no business catching and made it 2d and manageable. It was just a classic case of the team not getting down on itself, not pis*ing and moaning about a call, and just going out and taking the situation as it presented itself and making a big play.

That play, and the play where Redmond is able to just barely touch the ball out of bounds during the final drive of super bowl 36 are probably my all time favorite plays that nobody ever talks about.

And it was a BS penalty that negated at 15 yard play to Brown to boot.

I will always be amazed that Troy was kneed in the face breaking his nose at the beginning of that game and he still gutted it out. I know that a broken nose isn't life threatening or anything, but it must be pretty painful to be running around and colliding with other bodies with one.

That game also has one of the my favorite plays of all time. Going into the SB, there was so much hype about Ricky Manning Jr. because he got three ints in the NFCCG. People were even comparing him to Law, which was beyond ridiculous.

Well, on one of the drives, Manning came up and tried to press Givens who promptly picked the guy up off his feet and threw him 3 yards out of bounds. That was the play where Givens caught the ball and tippy-toes along the sideline going OOBs around the 4. I just loved that play on so many levels.