Giant Shaun O'Hara admits to choking Seymour in "helmet catch" SB LXII...

[drewskie]

SB 42 was basically SB 51 in reverse... everything went NYG's way for them to squeak it out. The Amani Toomer push off on Ellis Hobbs, the 2 fumbles by NYG that we didn't recover especially the one by Pierre Woods. The FG that BB didn't go for that would've been a 53 yd attempt for Gost. The Asante Samuel INT drop on 2nd down. The missed (blatant) holding calls on the next fateful play. The missed INT by Meriweather before Plaxico's catch. If just one of these plays goes our way they go 19-0.

Having said that, its funny how the Tuck rule went against us in the 2001 RS against NYJ, but went for us in the all important playoff game against OAK. In reality, the 2007 team was the best team all year, but the 2001 team was a Cinderella story.

The 2006 season saw us blow a big lead at IND, and of course The Gronk high ankle sprain and Welker drop/Brady being slightly off/Manningham making the clutch catch in SB 46 were years we could've won.

We also could've lost SB 49 and 51 (I thought we outplayed SEA but they made more home run plays), and 51 was SB 42 in reverse in terms of our fortune.

So of the years we could've won...

2001 (Cinderella story, Tuck Rule)
2003 (won a close game against CAR but I thought we controlled the game)
2004 (we were the better team than PHI)
2006 (lost a big lead that we shouldnt have; debatable if we were the clear cut best team all year but the win at SD was huge )
2007 (no explanation needed, we shouldve pulled ahead early in SB 42 but letting NYG hang around was our undoing not to mention getting no calls and bad bounces at key times)
2010 (transitional year, layed an egg at the worse possible time)
2011 (should've won, but same can be said for GB/NO/SF)
2012 (another coin toss type of year up until the Pollard hit on Ridley)
2014 (slight edge on SEA/GB as the best team all year imo)
2015 (injuries derailed this team on the offensive side of the ball; lack of depth didnt help)
2016 (best team all year imo)

That's 11 times so far we could've won, with the 7 SB appearances and the AFCC game at INDY being the 8 closest times. Of these 8 seasons in particular, we ended up winning coin tosses in 2001/2003/2014/2016 but lost coin tosses in 2006/2007/2011. Injuries derailed us in 2015, and we'll never know what 2008 could've been either.

IMO the 5 best teams we've ever had are in order:

1. 2007
2. 2004
3. 2016
4. 2014
5. 2003

5 Lombardi's (currently) feels like due justice given the overall body of work so far from the BB/TB era.

2017 could be our best team yet... and NYG have a team that could potentially meet us in SB 52... to potentially let us exorcise our remaining demons?

Also **** Shaun O'Hara, Eli and especially Bernard Pollard (the dude's taken out TB/Welker/Gronk/Ridley and altered the course of 4 separate NE seasons).

 

[TBR]

You can see part of it occur here:

 

[JayNM]

I'm over that SB.

We've proven plently since then that I dont regret that game, if that makes sense.

Also, i think the thought process has changed about this Sb and 46's: it's more like those were the fluke, because winning is the norm. It's the sweetest feeling

 

[Tunescribe]

What's the purpose of this? O'Hara admitting what has been obvious on film for 10 years is irrelevant. This thread just pisses me off.

 

[Pats1989]

Nobody prevented Samuel from making that pick. Patriots still could've stopped them. They've won two out of three. It was a decade ago. Move on!!

 

[Pats1989]

An ass kicking is the only way to describe what the Giants DL did to our OL.

Indeed. But it's time to move on.

 

[VectorPrime]

People overstate how "easy" Asante's dropped pick was. He was at full extension and it bounced off the top of his hands.

Wilfork tripping on the 4th and 1 earlier in the drive and Merriweather not coming up with a pick after the helmet catch were much worse.

 

[neuronet]

Really glad someone is bringing up one of my most painful Patriots memories today because I was in a good mood.

 

[Wheelman]

I'd like to know what else the OP can see in the future. Who knew Shaun O'Hara would come out of retirement, and Eli Manning would still be playing by the time Super bowl 62 came around...

 

[Koma]

You know, one aspect of this story that I like is that it's coming from O'Hara. Richard Seymour or Jarvis Green or Mike Vrabel aren't bringing it up and complaining. I know Patriots players, past and present, aren't perfect, but there aren't too many examples of them making excuses after a loss or going down the "the better team didn't win" path. That sets them apart from players and coaches on the Rams, Steelers, Ravens, Eagles, and Panthers.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

And if Asante Samuel didn't get his fingers greasy - that prick. Anyway, it's all water under the bridge.

I'd love to know where this myth that Samuel dropped some easy, gimme interception came from. Because it's patently and obviously false.

 

[Deus Irae]

What's the purpose of this? O'Hara admitting what has been obvious on film for 10 years is irrelevant. This thread just pisses me off.

Giants fans have been denying this reality for years. It'll be tougher for them to try making the "not true!" argument, now, and that's always a good thing.

 

[Tunescribe]

Giants fans have been denying this reality for years. It'll be tougher for them to try making the "not true!" argument, now, and that's always a good thing.

If they've been denying the reality of what the film shows them in full-color high definition, O'Hara's admission will be attributed to CTE.

 

[Mountain_Commando]

I only wish we had some recent success to help take the sting out of this.......

Haven't you heard? The Dolphins signed Cutler.

 

[Jackson 2]

I'd love to know where this myth that Samuel dropped some easy, gimme interception came from. Because it's patently and obviously false.

I'm here with the solution to your conundrum: it's the truth.

 

[Angelpats]

Why bring this up? I almost had forgotten taht game. We know it was a hold. The player holding now admits to it and the ref knew it was a hold and seemed happy he didn't call it so that he could make "history".

 

[Triumph]

The only way to right this wrong is to beat the Giants in the Super Bowl.

Go Giants.

 

[borisman]

You can see part of it occur here:

If not for 2 holding non-calls, Eli would've had 600 lbs of man meat squash him on that play. Not sure he gets up after that one.

 

[Kontradiction]

SB 42 was basically SB 51 in reverse... everything went NYG's way for them to squeak it out. The Amani Toomer push off on Ellis Hobbs, the 2 fumbles by NYG that we didn't recover especially the one by Pierre Woods. The FG that BB didn't go for that would've been a 53 yd attempt for Gost. The Asante Samuel INT drop on 2nd down. The missed (blatant) holding calls on the next fateful play. The missed INT by Meriweather before Plaxico's catch. If just one of these plays goes our way they go 19-0.

Having said that, its funny how the Tuck rule went against us in the 2001 RS against NYJ, but went for us in the all important playoff game against OAK. In reality, the 2007 team was the best team all year, but the 2001 team was a Cinderella story.

The 2006 season saw us blow a big lead at IND, and of course The Gronk high ankle sprain and Welker drop/Brady being slightly off/Manningham making the clutch catch in SB 46 were years we could've won.

We also could've lost SB 49 and 51 (I thought we outplayed SEA but they made more home run plays), and 51 was SB 42 in reverse in terms of our fortune.

So of the years we could've won...

2001 (Cinderella story, Tuck Rule)
2003 (won a close game against CAR but I thought we controlled the game)
2004 (we were the better team than PHI)
2006 (lost a big lead that we shouldnt have; debatable if we were the clear cut best team all year but the win at SD was huge )
2007 (no explanation needed, we shouldve pulled ahead early in SB 42 but letting NYG hang around was our undoing not to mention getting no calls and bad bounces at key times)
2010 (transitional year, layed an egg at the worse possible time)
2011 (should've won, but same can be said for GB/NO/SF)
2012 (another coin toss type of year up until the Pollard hit on Ridley)
2014 (slight edge on SEA/GB as the best team all year imo)
2015 (injuries derailed this team on the offensive side of the ball; lack of depth didnt help)
2016 (best team all year imo)

That's 11 times so far we could've won, with the 7 SB appearances and the AFCC game at INDY being the 8 closest times. Of these 8 seasons in particular, we ended up winning coin tosses in 2001/2003/2014/2016 but lost coin tosses in 2006/2007/2011. Injuries derailed us in 2015, and we'll never know what 2008 could've been either.

IMO the 5 best teams we've ever had are in order:

1. 2007
2. 2004
3. 2016
4. 2014
5. 2003

5 Lombardi's (currently) feels like due justice given the overall body of work so far from the BB/TB era.

2017 could be our best team yet... and NYG have a team that could potentially meet us in SB 52... to potentially let us exorcise our remaining demons?

Also **** Shaun O'Hara, Eli and especially Bernard Pollard (the dude's taken out TB/Welker/Gronk/Ridley and altered the course of 4 separate NE seasons).

Not going for the field goal was a terrible decision. I admit that it wasn't exactly a chip shot but, should Gost hit it, that game goes into OT and the Giants defense was absolutely gassed at that point. Oh well.

 

[drewskie]

Not going for the field goal was a terrible decision. I admit that it wasn't exactly a chip shot but, should Gost hit it, that game goes into OT and the Giants defense was absolutely gassed at that point. Oh well.

I think BB didn't anticipate the game being that low scoring and that the game would come down to 3 points. Gost's career high at that point in time was 52 yards. However since the game was indoors, I still would've elected to kick it at that point in the game. Remember, we didn't score any points for the better part of almost 3 full quarters between the Maroney TD and the Moss TD!

The way the game was going, where Hobbs picked off Eli when we were up 7-3 early in the 2nd quarter.... it was looking really good for us.

I'll have to rewatch what happened for the better part of 3 quarters but we had 5 combined fumble opportunities/INT chances we should have gotten at least once (yes just 1 and we wouldve been 19-0) not including the one from Hobbs (the 2 fumbles including the one by Woods where he fell on it but still couldnt come up with it, the missed end zone INT attempt that led to the Tyree TD, the missed 2nd down INT by Asante Samuel on the eventual game winning drive by Eli, and the missed INT by Meriweather before the Plaxico TD).