Wish we could close games like Manning can

[robbomango]

there was no blocked punt .....

My bad, could'v sworn the D scored 2 TDs forget how. My memory is going:bricks:

 

[Ring 6]

there was no blocked punt .....

Sadly, for you, there was everything else

 

[Ring 6]

Re: Broncos down 24-0 at half, come back to win

I changed the title of the original thread based on his complaint, so that's why I gave it a like.

Listen folks, I should be clear about the semantics of the word 'closing'. By that I mean, in our case, win when we are ahead by fewer than 7, our offense gets the ball, and there are 2:30-4 minutes to go.

Now, when in this situation, I literally put my head in my hands in agony because I know what is about to happen. Our last five losses have been the same thing:

Crappy offensive drive (usually 3 and out), deep bomb from the opponent embarrassing our secondary, other team scores; we lose.

If we can avoid any of those things, then we will have learned to close a game. Some have pointed out that we squeaked by in the AFCCG. Yes, that is a counter to what I'm saying, but you know it came perilously close to fitting this exact pattern.

The analogy with last night's game with Peyton admittedly isn't perfect as that was one weird game.

I don't expect to win every game. That is silly. What I do want is for us to win games in which we are ahead, and our offense gets the ball with under 4 minutes to go. That is incredibly reasonable of me, and for some reason our team can't pull it together.

I'm not saying we suck, or won't make the playoffs, or that we should win every game. I'm saying let's close winning games off, as I defined it above.

Thanks to those who were charitable in interpreting what I wrote, e.g., pointing out that I obviously didn't mean to say I want to play from behind every week.

Oh, and our clock management lately on offense, since JoshD came back, has been atrocious.

Do you watch any other football games than the Patriots?
This is the NFL now. No lead is safe, and certainly a 1 score lead isn't.
Most NFL games end with a comeback, and many end with a comeback from the comeback.
I bet that in the NFL this season 1 score leads with less than 5 minutes to go are held barely 50% of the time.

 

[Lansdowne]

Before opening this thread, I thought, "...which Manning?"

Curse that family. Sigh.

 

[neuronet]

Re: Broncos down 24-0 at half, come back to win

Do you watch any other football games than the Patriots?

Not so much, but that doesn't mean there isn't a problem!

 

[jcdavey]

Sadly, for you, there was everything else

yes lol for sure

sad when the best aspect of our team was special teams play

 

[Buchanty]

i think the nfc is going to completely shred whoever reps the afc in the sb

I think the SB will be determined by who has momentum at the right time, and that can be grasped by either the NFC or AFC team. Comebacks are over-rated as demonstrations of pure skill as they are dependent on so many factors, prime amongst them is momentum which is positive when you are the possessor and enervating when opposing. Skill does matter but momentum enhances it just as the lack of momentum can dilute it.

Other factors include an all-important rhythm that is established by well oiled practice, fortune of the bounce (cough, cough, coughlin) and the 12th man, which is obvious when momentum is with the home team and almost invisible when with the visitors.

There are currently a number of teams in either conference that could win the 2012 SB, much will depend on their ability to harness momentum at the right time. Currently the Patriots lack that ability.

 

[NYCPatsFan]

Re: Broncos down 24-0 at half, come back to win

You realize dont you that Manning only netted 14 points for his team . .. had a pick six and three TDs drives all game long . ..

One TD drive was from the denver 20ish, so kudos there, but the other two drives were from midfield after two defensive ints . . .

So Manning contribution to the team is one long TD drive and two from midfield and a pick six . . . so tell me mosi, how impressive, in this day in age of the passing game, is a net score of 14 points and one long and 2 short TD drives? Best of all time impressive? or just your run of the mill average QBing in today NFL . . .

I think someone had in their signature about what TB thinks of stats: BS.

So, rant what you want about Peyton being a 'run of the mill average QB' based on his stats, but it takes special talent to overcome the mistakes and perform when it matters. Peyton delivered a W for his team when it counted on him to do so. He surely is not an average QB in my books.

 

[RWayne911]

Re: Broncos down 24-0 at half, come back to win

it was a great game and one for the ages, clearly . . . but when a player contributes a net total of 14 points (the same Brady contributed in SB 42) I am not so sure I would say that he was in a zone (was Brady in a zone in SB 42? (and his scoring drives were longer btw). . . he did what he had to do to win, but it is not like he scored 28 points with sustained drives of 70+ yards . . .

there is a just a little bit too much credit going to Manning and more is needed for his team . . .

surely down the road there will be games where one can point to Manning as a major contributer to the game . . . but not so much last night, well at least in reference to the rest of his team . . .

If the D had not stepped up, we would be looking at a 2-4 Broncos, a pick six by Manning and them behind the Chargers by 2.5 games . . .

I remember you on the Colts forum. Great poster, but now you just sound foolish.

Manning went 13-14 in the second half. His only incompletion was a deflection on a screen pass. He played flawlessly. And you forgot to mention, the ONLY reason that pick six occurred is because (a) Decker fell two players earlier on a WIDE OPEN WALK to the end zone and (b) Willis made the wrong read on a hot blitz.

And actually, Manning only scored 21 (who the hell cares about how many points he "netted" when he should have had 4 TDs & 0 INTs if Decker didn't get tackled by grass) because two fumbles on special teams took away two possessions in the first half. Manning also threw the TD to take the lead after being down 24-21, also took the first drive of the second half for a TD (biggest drive of the game), and closed the game out to run clock to Decker (but a HORRIBLE offensive P.I. call where the defender wasn't touched brought it back).

Manning was relentless, the only thing that stopped him on in the second half was that offensive P.I. call and two special teams fumbles. He led his team to 21 points in the second half. How you expected him to lead the Broncos to more then 21 offense points with two special teams fumbles and barley any possession in the first half is beyond me, you sound beyond salty at the moment. If Brady was simply in Manning's place, and had an identical game, you'd be singing a completely different tune; as would 90% of the people in this thread, which is why I responded in the first place.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

While this thread title is a little misleading, let's not even fool ourselves.
Manning is and will pretty much be the best at being the comeback king, its okay to admit it.

This is probably the only area I would give Manning the advantage over Brady in. We all know, being Patriots fans, that this guy is amazing and is never out of the game. I have no issue admitting that. When the Chargers were up 24-0, I sat there with a smirk because I knew it wasn't over. Rivers did help them out so-to-say but this is Manning's 47th comeback win, the most from ANY player ever.

He's done it time and time, it wasn't a fluke.

Yeah, that's why his W-L record in the post season is what it is...

Playoff Record as Starting QB: 1999 (0-1), 2000 (0-1), 2002 (0-1), 2003 (2-1), 2004 (1-1), 2005 (0-1), 2006 (4-0), 2007 (0-1), 2008 (0-1), 2009 (2-1), 2010 (0-1)
Playoff Comebacks: 2006 (1)
Playoff Game-Winning Drives: 2006 (1)

As opposed to that stiff Brady...

Playoff Record as Starting QB: 2001 (3-0), 2003 (3-0), 2004 (3-0), 2005 (1-1), 2006 (2-1), 2007 (2-1), 2009 (0-1), 2010 (0-1), 2011 (2-1)
Playoff Comebacks: 2001 (1),2003 (1),2006 (1)
Playoff Game-Winning Drives: 2001 (2),2003 (2),2004 (1),2006 (1)

And Tom nearly had at least one more...

Actual come from behind 4th quarter victories Manning has 36 to Brady's 25. Thing is those are opportunity driven and for a chunk of their career's Manning's defense provided him with more. Brady's has been seemingly driven to change that of late. However the big difference is in the number of come from behind 4th quarter drives Brady has led when it mattered most, in the playoffs and in Superbowls.

 

[Deus Irae]

I'm surprised this thread is still going on. The sad fact is that the Patriots did close the game like Manning does. That was the problem. All that was missing was the pick-6, and we would have had a perfect Manning "close".

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Re: Broncos down 24-0 at half, come back to win

I changed the title of the original thread based on his complaint, so that's why I gave it a like.

Listen folks, I should be clear about the semantics of the word 'closing'. By that I mean, in our case, win when we are ahead by fewer than 7, our offense gets the ball, and there are 2:30-4 minutes to go.

Now, when in this situation, I literally put my head in my hands in agony because I know what is about to happen. Our last five losses have been the same thing:

Crappy offensive drive (usually 3 and out), deep bomb from the opponent embarrassing our secondary, other team scores; we lose.

If we can avoid any of those things, then we will have learned to close a game. Some have pointed out that we squeaked by in the AFCCG. Yes, that is a counter to what I'm saying, but you know it came perilously close to fitting this exact pattern.

The analogy with last night's game with Peyton admittedly isn't perfect as that was one weird game.

I don't expect to win every game. That is silly. What I do want is for us to win games in which we are ahead, and our offense gets the ball with under 4 minutes to go. That is incredibly reasonable of me, and for some reason our team can't pull it together.

I'm not saying we suck, or won't make the playoffs, or that we should win every game. I'm saying let's close winning games off, as I defined it above.

Thanks to those who were charitable in interpreting what I wrote, e.g., pointing out that I obviously didn't mean to say I want to play from behind every week.

Oh, and our clock management lately on offense, since JoshD came back, has been atrocious.

You might want to talk to Josh about that drive because Brady's hands were effectively tied. Manning would have faced the same fate. Josh was intent on using up the Seahawks time outs by attempting to do something he had deliberately not game planned or been able to execute as a result at any point in the game. Run the damn ball. Probably assumed Wilson would be overwhelmed even if they got the ball back without them in a two minute drill. So we go 3 and out and stop the clock on 3rd down only as an added courtesy and Mesko and the coverage unit spit the bit as if on cue and Seattle is on the 45. So we then employed our nearly patented bend over and take it prevent defense against a team that simply had to have a TD and had no choice but to throw the damn ball. Naturally our rookie safety subbing due to injury bit on play action...

Nothing Manning could have done different other than maybe throw a pick or choose to be insubordinate and risk leaving Seattle 3 minutes for their comeback drive. He also had the good fortune to be playing against Rivers in the midst of a classic meltdown. Against even league average QB play he never gets that shot.

 

[NYCPatsFan]

Yeah, that's why his W-L record in the post season is what it is...



As opposed to that stiff Brady...



And Tom nearly had at least one more...

Actual come from behind 4th quarter victories Manning has 36 to Brady's 25. Thing is those are opportunity driven and for a chunk of their career's Manning's defense provided him with more. Brady's has been seemingly driven to change that of late. However the big difference is in the number of come from behind 4th quarter drives Brady has led when it mattered most, in the playoffs and in Superbowls.

Hmm...now that you put this way, this TB may not be that bad and should probably be allowed to play against the Jets.

Nice compliation of stats that truly matter. Thanks!

 

[neuronet]

From Wilfork:

We have to be able to finish. We’ve had opportunities to close out games, and we haven’t. So we have to understand when we get in those situations, we have to be able to close the door. If we don’t close the door, we give teams life, and teams believe they’re in it. So it all starts with finishing ballgames.

Thanks Vince. That was my point.

Maybe some people here will say he is an idiot.

 

[zoostation]

Re: Broncos down 24-0 at half, come back to win

San Diego didnt score a single point in the second half, San diego's offense lost the game for them, Rivers had a bigger hand in the Broncos win than Manning did, and please o please change the title of your thread

Chargers being the Chargers... Watch the divisional playoff game they handed to the Jetsies a few years back for reference.