Glutton for punishment...

[cstjohn17]

Lets just say I had a few drinks the night of the Superbowl and the outcome was so depressing I can just now finally talk about it.

I must be a glutton for punishment but I re-watched the final Giant drive last night, man was that painful. The defense actually didn't play that bad on the drive, say what you want about the game plan from BB and the performance of the offensive line but when push came to shove BB has the team in position to win, the players just could not make the plays.

For the playoffs the defense had a 16.7 PPG game average (slightly better than the season average of 17.1) they also had a 9 quarter streak with no touchdowns.

The offense on the other hand averaged 22 PPG, over 15 points lower than there season average.

There were about 8 plays in the last drive that would have left the Patriots in the discussion as one of the best teams of all time.

In the end the defense needed a playmaker, and it is pretty obvious why Samuel, Harrison and Merriweather play in the secondary instead of on offense, they cannot catch. Killer drops my Harrison, Samuel and Merriweather (worst hands ever).

1) 1st-10, NYG17 2:39 E. Manning passed to A. Toomer to the right for 11 yard gain
- first play of drive, pass on right side to Toomer, Samuel moves away from Toomer up towards the player in the flat, if he stays back he could easily have jump that route
2) 2nd-10, NYG28 2:04 E. Manning incomplete pass to the left
- ball goes through Harrison hands, tough play but still could have been made
3) 4th-1, NYG37 1:34 B. Jacobs rushed up the middle for 2 yard gain
- Moore falls down, if he gets his fat butt up sooner Jacobs has no where to go, the Pats blew up there offensive line but one guy didn't do his jump and the Giants scrapped out a first down
4) 1st-10, NYG39 1:28 E. Manning rushed to the right for 5 yard gain
- Thomas played his best game all year, what a burst he had, at the end of the play he almost caused a strip sack.. almost... Vrabel looked like he was banged up because he was no where to be found, with the rush Thomas was getting Vrabel just had to set the edge and Manning would have no where to go
5) 2nd-5, NYG44 1:20 E. Manning incomplete pass to the right
- I still don't know how Samuel dropped this, there was no receiver anywhere near him, Toomer stopped but Manning thought he was going deep, unbelievable
6) E. Manning passed to D. Tyree down the middle for 32 yard gain
- we all know this one, again Thomas gets a good rush and forces Manning to step up, Green and Seymour just could not get him down, almost looked like a couple Patriots thought it was going to be a sack and gave up on the play
7) 1st-10, NE24 0:59 E. Manning sacked by A. Thomas
- another opportunity for a strip
8) 2nd-11, NE25 0:51 E. Manning incomplete pass to the left
- Manning throws a floater to his left that goes right through Merriweather's "hands", #31 has to go to hands school, he is far from a playmaker, I can't believe was a first round pick

So there it is 8 kicks at the cat and no play makers to be found. The pressure was decent in most cases, Manning threw most of his passes of his back foot but in the end the Patriots couldn't close the deal.

 

[CrazyDave]

You're a brave man.
I hope it was cathartic (sp?)
I think most would agree that we've been a little short on big plays by the D. ( At the right times anyway.) Not like a few years ago.

 

[BradyToMoss]

I've watched football for 25 years and alot of it. I have never, ever seen a team beat the percentages as much as the Giants did on this drive. This drive and the odds against the things happening that infact did happen is the equivalent of someone walking into Foxwoods with 10bucks and walking home with 20K, hitting every slot machine he sat down at. It's equivalent to this same person sitting down at the blackjack table and winning 3 straight hands when the dealer lays down 6 face cards. From the inches away strip sacks to the Brandon Jacobs miracle run after the DLine blew up the play and were literally in the backfield with Jacobs when he received the handoff all the way to the miracle Houdini Eli escape to the greatest catch in the long, history of the NFL by a 4th wide receiver. It's all so unexplanable, I'm still in deep pain, I relive that drive every day. I still think it's a dream, I cannot believe what I saw on that drive.

 

[marcus]

I have finally accepted that the Patriots did not deserve to win..simple as that.

A championship defnse MUST step up and make that key stop.


I also think the Giants did in fact deserve to win.

On that particular night the Giants mayed a few mor ekey plays than teh Patriots.

It was pretty much a team breakdown.

 

[cstjohn17]

You're a brave man.
I hope it was cathartic (sp?)
I think most would agree that we've been a little short on big plays by the D. ( At the right times anyway.) Not like a few years ago.

I not sure how you spell it but there was no healing. I couldn't sleep all night and was a tired mess all day at work. If you have the game on your DVR just delete it, it is not worth it.

 

[wpdougie2180]

I have to agree you're a brave man. I still haven't even brought myself to watch any sports for mention of it. It's not that they lost but the way they lost as you said they had so many opportunities and just didn't capitalize something they did all year. The Patriots had an opportunity for a turnover on literally every Giant drive and whether it was a dropped INT or not recovering a fumble it just didn't happen. And the offense, the Highest scoring offense in history, could only muster 7 points for 3 & 1/2 quaters when 1 TD would likely have put the game away the way the defense was playing.

 

[psychoPat]

I've watched football for 25 years and alot of it. I have never, ever seen a team beat the percentages as much as the Giants did on this drive. This drive and the odds against the things happening that infact did happen is the equivalent of someone walking into Foxwoods with 10bucks and walking home with 20K, hitting every slot machine he sat down at. It's equivalent to this same person sitting down at the blackjack table and winning 3 straight hands when the dealer lays down 6 face cards. From the inches away strip sacks to the Brandon Jacobs miracle run after the DLine blew up the play and were literally in the backfield with Jacobs when he received the handoff all the way to the miracle Houdini Eli escape to the greatest catch in the long, history of the NFL by a 4th wide receiver. It's all so unexplanable, I'm still in deep pain, I relive that drive every day. I still think it's a dream, I cannot believe what I saw on that drive.

Dear SeeSaintJohn,

I'm sure you understand and believe me when i say,
I Feel Your Pain.

Duh. Don't we all?
This is perhaps only the 3rd or 4th post i've had the heart to put up in the past two weeks.

Brady2Moss nailed it.
That all that happened as it did ... defies belief.
My sig, however, has been up all that time.
Hats off to the G-men!

 

[Wax Frog]

I not sure how you spell it but there was no healing. I couldn't sleep all night and was a tired mess all day at work. If you have the game on your DVR just delete it, it is not worth it.

I went to an immediate and near-total blackout for two days when the game ended, then gradually allowed myself to read posts here for what little de-pressurizing I needed. It's worked out quite well - even the Specter stuff has had little hold on my mind... Of course, circumstances have allowed me to avoid personal encounters with Patriot hate as well, so I have things easier than most in that regard...

 

[CrazyDave]

I not sure how you spell it but there was no healing. I couldn't sleep all night and was a tired mess all day at work. If you have the game on your DVR just delete it, it is not worth it.

I deleted it long ago.
I've been here quite a bit, but I have'nt seen one second of SB video. Not one play.
Maybe someday.

 

[chrisfx811]

When I look back at the game, nearly all the breaks and hustle plays went the way of the Giants.

1. The play that was rules a batted ball, was a great hustle effort that nearly resulted in a 1st down. I know it's a penalty, but it demonstrated how 'in tune' the Giants were as a team.

2. The Brady fumble near the end of the half. Here the Pats were going down for a 2 score lead, and a momentum changing drive, and Brady holds the ball long enough to allow the defense to make it happen. (Another example of Brady wanting the big play too much)

3. The Giants somehow recovering their own fumble near the end of the 1st half, despite our lb pancaking right on top of it, and seemingly down by contact immediately. To me this was a gross display of officiating, but nonetheless, they let a small rb take the ball from them.

4. The final drive by the Giants. It's been discussed, I can't relive it, but I agree that the defense was in position so many times ot close it out, and not one of them made the play. wtf.

5. The Pats last gasp attempt. 30+ seconds and 3 timeouts. All they need is 50-60 yards to get a fg. Break it up into 2-4 nice little 10-20 yard chunks which should be there considering how every single defense in the NFL is in a dime pkg at that point.
Not to mention the fact that your o-line was a NYC turnstyle all night long, thereby making the deep ball next to impossible to complete.
Instead they run what look like consecutive deep routes, and get absolutely nothing but a sack to show for it..
Pathetic play calling and execution.

In light of what's happening off the field, and the nature of their past 2 losses, I surely hope this isn't what finally breaks up what the Pats have built since 2000.

 

[captain stone]

1) 1st-10, NYG17 2:39 E. Manning passed to A. Toomer to the right for 11 yard gain
- first play of drive, pass on right side to Toomer, Samuel moves away from Toomer up towards the player in the flat, if he stays back he could easily have jump that route.

CS: There was no effin way that an 11-yard gain should have been that easy. Where the eff was the coverage?

2) 2nd-10, NYG28 2:04 E. Manning incomplete pass to the left
- ball goes through Harrison hands, tough play but still could have been made.

CS: That was an easier INT to make than Samuel's miss.

3) 4th-1, NYG37 1:34 B. Jacobs rushed up the middle for 2 yard gain
- Moore falls down, if he gets his fat butt up sooner Jacobs has no where to go, the Pats blew up there offensive line but one guy didn't do his jump and the Giants scrapped out a first down.

CS: I thought that it was Wilfork who was on his belly?

4) 1st-10, NYG39 1:28 E. Manning rushed to the right for 5 yard gain
- Thomas played his best game all year, what a burst he had, at the end of the play he almost caused a strip sack.. almost... Vrabel looked like he was banged up because he was no where to be found, with the rush Thomas was getting Vrabel just had to set the edge and Manning would have no where to go.

CS: Vrabel was nowhere to be found for the entire game.

5) 2nd-5, NYG44 1:20 E. Manning incomplete pass to the right
- I still don't know how Samuel dropped this, there was no receiver anywhere near him, Toomer stopped but Manning thought he was going deep, unbelievable.

CS: I thought that this was the hardest of the 3 near-INTs.

6) E. Manning passed to D. Tyree down the middle for 32 yard gain
- we all know this one, again Thomas gets a good rush and forces Manning to step up, Green and Seymour just could not get him down, almost looked like a couple Patriots thought it was going to be a sack and gave up on the play.

CS: Instead of surrounding Ellie, the rushers all ran to the same spot. Poor discipline.

7) 1st-10, NE24 0:59 E. Manning sacked by A. Thomas
- another opportunity for a strip.

8) 2nd-11, NE25 0:51 E. Manning incomplete pass to the left
- Manning throws a floater to his left that goes right through Merriweather's "hands", #31 has to go to hands school, he is far from a playmaker, I can't believe was a first round pick.

CS: The Stomper doesn't get enough grief for this miss. The ball went through both his effin stone hands. I can't believe he was our 1st-round pick, either.

So there it is 8 kicks at the cat and no play makers to be found. The pressure was decent in most cases, Manning threw most of his passes of his back foot but in the end the Patriots couldn't close the deal.

Don't forget 3rd/11, too. The jints needed 11; they were given 12. Pat-hetic.

 

[captain stone]

When I look back at the game, nearly all the breaks and hustle plays went the way of the Giants.

1. The play that was rules a batted ball, was a great hustle effort that nearly resulted in a 1st down. I know it's a penalty, but it demonstrated how 'in tune' the Giants were as a team.

2. The Brady fumble near the end of the half. Here the Pats were going down for a 2 score lead, and a momentum changing drive, and Brady holds the ball long enough to allow the defense to make it happen. (Another example of Brady wanting the big play too much)

CS: Exactly. There was still 1 more TO remaining, so the middle of the field was still an option.

3. The Giants somehow recovering their own fumble near the end of the 1st half, despite our lb pancaking right on top of it, and seemingly down by contact immediately. To me this was a gross display of officiating, but nonetheless, they let a small rb take the ball from them.

CS: It was also a gross display of fumble recovery by Woods. He should have been biting the arm of any jint near him.

4. The final drive by the Giants. It's been discussed, I can't relive it, but I agree that the defense was in position so many times ot close it out, and not one of them made the play. wtf.

CS: If Ellie's passes were just a couple of inches shorter...

5. The Pats last gasp attempt. 30+ seconds and 3 timeouts. All they need is 50-60 yards to get a fg. Break it up into 2-4 nice little 10-20 yard chunks which should be there considering how every single defense in the NFL is in a dime pkg at that point.
Not to mention the fact that your o-line was a NYC turnstyle all night long, thereby making the deep ball next to impossible to complete.
Instead they run what look like consecutive deep routes, and get absolutely nothing but a sack to show for it..
Pathetic play calling and execution.

CS: And allegedly Brady missed wide-open receivers running across the field, while he was waiting for the deep routes to develop.

In light of what's happening off the field, and the nature of their past 2 losses, I surely hope this isn't what finally breaks up what the Pats have built since 2000.

This is unfortunately very possible.

 

[richpats]

5. The Pats last gasp attempt. 30+ seconds and 3 timeouts. All they need is 50-60 yards to get a fg. Break it up into 2-4 nice little 10-20 yard chunks which should be there considering how every single defense in the NFL is in a dime pkg at that point.
Not to mention the fact that your o-line was a NYC turnstyle all night long, thereby making the deep ball next to impossible to complete.
Instead they run what look like consecutive deep routes, and get absolutely nothing but a sack to show for it..
Pathetic play calling and execution.

This was astonishing, even more than the Giants' last TD drive. We're swinging for the fences when they would give up the 15-yard gainers. 3 of those and we have a 48-yard attempt. Oh wait, we wouldn't kick it from that far. Some of the coaching decisions, just plain terrible.