Giants overconfident

[sanvara]

It seems to me that the Giants are a team that is overconfident.

This is overblown. There's no way the Giants can go into a game overconfident against an 18-0 team. At the same time they have to maintain a certain level of confidence that permeates the team in terms of how the act and talk or they will be psychologically defeated before the game has even started.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

There's no way I'm getting overconfident. The Giants are right where we were when we were the underdogs against the Rams.

Minus BB and Brady of course. That might be important.

 

[KoolAidDrinker]

I, like some on this board, had little respect for the Giants and Tom Coughlin. Through most of the year, they didn't exactly light it up.

But week 17 changed it all for me. TC had the balls to go for it, when it didn't mean anything. It was counter-intuitive, but it paid great respect to the Pats and the game of football! And somehow, this helped light a fire under their organization just at the right time. Now they're in the Super Bowl, with a legitimate shot at the Lombardi.

Fortunately, the Pats respect them for who they are and what they've accomplished. The Pats will be prepared; they will be ready for a war!

I think the Pats will win (maybe win big), but this Giants team deserves to be in Arizona. If they are overconfident, that's good for us.

This promises to be the biggest, grandest, most hyped, most watched Super Bowl in history. Bring it on!! Go PAts!

 

[Wildo7]

You don't know that? You hope that happens. Don't act like you can for see the future. The Giants may just win?!?!

Wanna make a sig bet?

 

[Wildo7]

This is overblown. There's no way the Giants can go into a game overconfident against an 18-0 team. At the same time they have to maintain a certain level of confidence that permeates the team in terms of how the act and talk or they will be psychologically defeated before the game has even started.

I hear them in all these interviews about how they would have won that week 17 game if they hadn't made a few mistakes. Go back and watch the game. The Pats had a TD celebration penalty that in all likelyhood gave them a TD they wouldn't have otherwise gotten. Not to mention that the Pats were up 10 with little over a minute remaining. The notion that it was a 3-pt game is totally disingenuous. I get nervous before all Pats game, if you check my posts you'll see that I thought the Chargers could have beaten us and was very nervous for Jacksonville. I have no worries about the Giants. None.

 

[karran_s]

I hear them in all these interviews about how they would have won that week 17 game if they hadn't made a few mistakes. Go back and watch the game. The Pats had a TD celebration penalty that in all likelyhood gave them a TD they wouldn't have otherwise gotten. Not to mention that the Pats were up 10 with little over a minute remaining. The notion that it was a 3-pt game is totally disingenuous. I get nervous before all Pats game, if you check my posts you'll see that I thought the Chargers could have beaten us and was very nervous for Jacksonville. I have no worries about the Giants. None.

I was in Giants stadium that night and when Brady threw that record TD to Moss, most of the fans around our group (all Giants fans) knew at that point that the game was up...

In fact, many of them didn't even wait for the consolation drive by Eli... they were already streaming out of our section, shaking their heads..

No one, I repeat, no one there thought the Giants had a chance after Moss caught the ball... Their expressions said it all... We were, of course, jubilant..

 

[SeymourTrophies]

I agree with the garbage TD that made the pats win by 3 instead of 10, but not the kick return. We brought that upon ourselves with a penalty, a ticky tacky penalty, but a penalty nontheless. One thing I know is that the Giants had every big momentum shift go their way, and they lost by a misleading 3 point margin. Their people got to Brady, we had no linemen, they had critical momentum swings, and we still won. They are overconfident, but whether they look bad because of it is yet to be determined. Hopefully they do end up looking dumb.

 

[Wildo7]

I agree with the garbage TD that made the pats win by 3 instead of 10, but not the kick return. We brought that upon ourselves with a penalty, a ticky tacky penalty, but a penalty nontheless. One thing I know is that the Giants had every big momentum shift go their way, and they lost by a misleading 3 point margin. Their people got to Brady, we had no linemen, they had critical momentum swings, and we still won. They are overconfident, but whether they look bad because of it is yet to be determined. Hopefully they do end up looking dumb.

Tha penalty should not have been called. I still don't understand how they call that. It shouldn't have been a TD just because of that, but they wouldn't have gotten a TD without it. Never seen that penalty called in other games where teams celebrate way more.

 

[reflexblue]

I hear them in all these interviews about how they would have won that week 17 game if they hadn't made a few mistakes. Go back and watch the game. The Pats had a TD celebration penalty that in all likelyhood gave them a TD they wouldn't have otherwise gotten. Not to mention that the Pats were up 10 with little over a minute remaining. The notion that it was a 3-pt game is totally disingenuous. I get nervous before all Pats game, if you check my posts you'll see that I thought the Chargers could have beaten us and was very nervous for Jacksonville. I have no worries about the Giants. None.

That could be a bad sign Wildo did you ever think of that.

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

Tha penalty should not have been called. I still don't understand how they call that. It shouldn't have been a TD just because of that, but they wouldn't have gotten a TD without it. Never seen that penalty called in other games where teams celebrate way more.

Chris Collinsworth said the "group celebration" was against the rules-meaning one guy can celebrate by doing his dancing or whatever, but they can't do it as a group as a whole.

Not sure if this is true or not.

 

[Mayday Malone]

Chris Collinsworth said the "group celebration" was against the rules-meaning one guy can celebrate by doing his dancing or whatever, but they can't do it as a group as a whole.

Not sure if this is true or not.

That's fine, but what bothered me is the fact that the entire Special Teams unit for the Gints was celebrating on the following TD return. If your going to call one, call the next.

 

[C'est La Vie]

The Giants are going to get smacked in the mouth and that confidence will go away pretty quickly. This is going to be a blowout, and I think everybody can feel it coming.

How much do you think the Pats will win by, and how much are you wagering?

 

[spacecrime]

The final drive TD was definitely a big deal. Pats were only up by 10, and if not for Eli's poor clock management skills, they could have had a bit more time on the clock than they did. It took an onsides kick recovery to fully seal it.
How is that not a big deal?

When a team is up by two scores late in the game, they allow runs and short-midrange passes up the middle as it chews clock. Every short gains uses about 40 seconds and is a victory for the team that is ahead.

Except for a trick onsides early in the game by the Iggles, when was the last time an onsides kick worked against the Pats. They use a different method of defeating the kick than do most teams.

And onsides kicks work less than a third of time, and even when they work, it doesn't guarantee the recovering team will score.

It was a garbage-time TD.

The OP's point was that the Giants are not nearly as good as the final score indicated, and I think the point is very valid.

 

[JoeSixPat]

#1 - This is anyone's game. If the Giants play at or above their capabilities and the Patriots play below their capabilities, a Giants win is VERY possible.

In many respects they match up very well with the Patriots - and I don't think many would deny they deserve to be in this game, proving themselves against high odds that they are currently the best team in the NFC.

And as far as the so important intangible of coaching, I think Coughlin gives up very little to Belichick - though BB certainly has an advantage with 3 SB victories.

#2 - That experience factor is coming out in all the talking the Giants players are doing. Who are they trying to convince? Quiet confidence should be their attitude...

Overall I think they are going to get more and more nervous as the game comes closer - and you may see them talk even more.

Meanwhile Brady and BB both give the air of being completely zen and relaxed this week - which in and of itself is intended to send a message to the Giants.

 

[DESERTPAT]

While I agree that the final touchdown was important it seemed like some of the Pats didn't think so until Rodney got the penalty. There was alot of celebrating going on and I don't think Rodney would have been that stupid if he didn't think the game was in the bag. That being said, he made it far too close for comfort. I also believe that on the first few drives that resulted in field goals Brady was looking for Randy too much to break the record.

BINGO!!!!!!!!

 

[Wildo7]

Chris Collinsworth said the "group celebration" was against the rules-meaning one guy can celebrate by doing his dancing or whatever, but they can't do it as a group as a whole.

Not sure if this is true or not.

Right, because Maroney came over and started to dance, they said it was "rehearsed group celebration." I just haven't seen that penalty called all year in any game where numerous guys celebrate together after a TD. By the letter of the rule, I'm sure it could technically be called, I just don't think a very strong precedent had been set this year to all of a sudden penalize the Pats in week 17 for it.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

When a team is up by two scores late in the game, they allow runs and short-midrange passes up the middle as it chews clock. Every short gains uses about 40 seconds and is a victory for the team that is ahead.

Except for a trick onsides early in the game by the Iggles, when was the last time an onsides kick worked against the Pats. They use a different method of defeating the kick than do most teams.

And onsides kicks work less than a third of time, and even when they work, it doesn't guarantee the recovering team will score.

It was a garbage-time TD.

The OP's point was that the Giants are not nearly as good as the final score indicated, and I think the point is very valid.

I can't think of a time when the Patriots have ever played this any way other than how they played it against the Giants.

Belichick's philosphy seems very strongly that the defense has one job here -- make sure the other team has to use enough time and time outs that they are forced to onside kick and the pats can go into kneel down mode. Put another way, Belichick has decided that the chance of recovering an onside kick to assure victory is much higher than playing straight up defense and potentially getting burned with a big play.

I think this is the right way to go. Keep everything in the middle and short, and get time off the clock. Once you get past the 2:00 warning and your opponent is out of time outs, then you can go back to straight up defense, because no matter what happens, all you need is the onside recovery to win.

You'll remember that the Patriots played this exactl same strategy in super bowl 39, but they blew a coverage and the Eagles got a quick strike.

In any event, the bottom line is correct -- it's impossible to know how to judge that last defensive series because it's such a highly specialized situation. With the game on the line, our defense threw 3 three and outs at the Giants (or 2 and one interception).

 

[psychoPat]

If the fortnight before Super Bowl
isn't the time for a team
and all its fans to feel their oats

... when is?

 

[TripleOption]

And as far as the so important intangible of coaching, I think Coughlin gives up very little to Belichick - though BB certainly has an advantage with 3 SB victories.

Uhhh...What?

 

[Haterproof]

Uhhh...What?

I've no idea what he or she is smoking.What ever it is,I sure do want some of it.