Happy Birthday, and Thank You, Marlon McCree

[Actual Pats Fan]

3/17/77 Well, what'd you expect?

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Typical San Diego. Not sure how I feel about that game...I kind of wish we had lost now, since San Diego absolutely OWNED Indianapolis during that time period, and Manning never would have gotten his "Super Bowl MVP" award that comes along with a 70 QB rating in that game, along with 3 TDs, 7 INTs int he postseason.

 

[Kontradiction]

One of my all time favorite Pats playoff games...

 

[Kontradiction]

Typical San Diego. Not sure how I feel about that game...I kind of wish we had lost now, since San Diego absolutely OWNED Indianapolis during that time period, and Manning never would have gotten his "Super Bowl MVP" award that comes along with a 70 QB rating in that game, along with 3 TDs, 7 INTs int he postseason.

To this day, I'm really still not sure just how the HELL the Pats won that game. That was one of Brady's worst playoff games as a pro and the Chargers of that season were a juggernaut. I guess with Marty Schottenheimer as the head coach, they were bound to blow it somehow, someway.

 

[jmt57]

Situational football. A player's instinct is to run the ball back but good coaches teach their team to be aware of any and every scenario.

To me it was odd that McCree said afterwards that he did not regret returning the interception rather than sliding down to the ground. With the benefit of hindsight how do you possibly reach that conclusion?

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

To this day, I'm really still not sure just how the HELL the Pats won that game. That was one of Brady's worst playoff games as a pro and the Chargers of that season were a juggernaut. I guess with Marty Schottenheimer as the head coach, they were bound to blow it somehow, someway.

And don't forget the infamous LaDainian Tomlinson whine fest after the game: It's rude to showboat by imitating my own teammate's obnoxious showboating.

 

[PatriotReign]

Situational football. A player's instinct is to run the ball back but good coaches teach their team to be aware of any and every scenario.

To me it was odd that McCree said afterwards that he did not regret returning the interception rather than sliding down to the ground. With the benefit of hindsight how do you possibly reach that conclusion?

There's also the flip side of this situation. When Morgan Burnett heeded Julius Pepper's instruction to slide instead of trying to run the pick back to seal the game for the Packers.

 

[signbabybrady]

Which brings up the question who's more clutch Troy Brown or JAMES WHITE!

 

[Shockt327]

Typical San Diego. Not sure how I feel about that game...I kind of wish we had lost now, since San Diego absolutely OWNED Indianapolis during that time period, and Manning never would have gotten his "Super Bowl MVP" award that comes along with a 70 QB rating in that game, along with 3 TDs, 7 INTs int he postseason.

Yeah, that same thought has run though my head many, many times. After losing Harrison and Seau to injury in late '06, that D was awfully thin.

The Colts would've been @ San Diego too, iirc.

 

[signbabybrady]

Typical San Diego. Not sure how I feel about that game...I kind of wish we had lost now, since San Diego absolutely OWNED Indianapolis during that time period, and Manning never would have gotten his "Super Bowl MVP" award that comes along with a 70 QB rating in that game, along with 3 TDs, 7 INTs int he postseason.

yeah but

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

yeah but

Don't worry LT. There will be so many more chances to get your ring. You physical, they finesse.

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

Typical San Diego. Not sure how I feel about that game...I kind of wish we had lost now, since San Diego absolutely OWNED Indianapolis during that time period, and Manning never would have gotten his "Super Bowl MVP" award that comes along with a 70 QB rating in that game, along with 3 TDs, 7 INTs int he postseason.

Naw. One of the best parts of the Pats' run is how they've squelched out any other teams' dynastic ambitions. First, the Rams. The Colts put up a long hard fight, but they eventually lost the war. The Steelers have gone to 3 and won 2 but the Pats have whipped them in the playoffs at every opportunity. Seattle was one big play from Malcolm Butler away from back to back.

But this one, the San Diego game...they were gutted by this loss. The Pats ended what could have been their biggest competition. They fired a competent, if big game gun shy, coach for an inept one. Tomlinson became an unrepentant whiner. Merriman's star power began to fade basically the moment that game ended.

Plus, without that devastating loss to the Colts, do they blitzkrieg the offseason the same way? I wouldn't trade ending the Chargers before they even got started.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Brady threw 3 INTs in the playoffs against the Chargers in 2006 AND 2007 and the Patriots still won both games. Brilliant coaching from San Diego, who had a ton of talent to boot...lol.

 

[jmt57]

There's also the flip side of this situation. When Morgan Burnett heeded Julius Pepper's instruction to slide instead of trying to run the pick back to seal the game for the Packers.

While true that the decision to slide did not work out in that game, in my opinion Burnett did the right thing. When a teammate is telling you to get down in a situation like that you have to assume he sees something you don't and he is making the correct call. Turn around to look and you risk getting blindsided and lose the ball. The poor decision in that case was on Peppers, not Burnett. Burnett had plenty of daylight but for whatever reason Peppers told him to get down. Imagine the backlash if Burnett ignored Peppers and an opponent Burnett did not see knocked the ball loose as he turned upfield.

In McCree's case there were was a crowd of players in the immediate vicinity. Even though it would not have sealed a victory as many writers and fans claimed - there were more than six minutes still left to play and it was only an 8-point lead - with that many players that close to you it would be better in my opinion to just secure the ball and fall to the ground.

 

[jmt57]

As bad as that play/decision was for San Diego, consider this trade the Chargers made a few years previously:

Mar 16, 1998: Chargers traded Eric Metcalf, Patrick Sapp, 1998 1st round pick (3rd overall, Andre Wadsworth), 1998 2nd round pick (33rd overall, Corey Chavous) and 1999 1st round pick (8th overall, David Boston) to Cardinals for 1998 1st round pick (2nd overall, Ryan Leaf)​

Considering Arizona's history it would have been more fitting if Ryan Leaf was drafted by the Cardinals. On the other hand in typical Cardinal fashion they still screwd up that gift.