Kraft acknowledges drafting woes, says approach is changing

[VectorPrime]

The whole allure of denying the perfect season also unjustly places Super 42 much much too high in every Best Super Bowl rankings. It’s always either 1 or 2. But frankly, leaving aside the perfect season the game kind of sucked. Sloppy execution on both sides, Eli played like crap until the end, Brady was hobbled and either getting sacked or throwing to a covered Moss deep. It was 10-7 with 3 minutes to go. The regular season game between these two teams was a vastly more entertaining product. Like that other person said, if this game went play for play exactly the same except the Giants beat a 12-4 Chargers team it would be a Super Bowl that no one cares about. Just fast forward and literally the next 3 Super Bowls were much more amazing games, especially 43 and 44. 45 was one sided at first but then the Steelers got the ball back down one score at the end of the game. 46 was kind of ehh but no one really rates that game high because no perfect season was on the line.

 

[Lansdowne]

I factored 4th down into my latest response with an edit. You were quick to respond and I’m doing all this by phone. Enjoying the nice Boston weather. Anyway, it’s stalemate. Ending this so the thread can get back on topic.

 

[Calhoun44]

You missed my point even though I laid it out entirely in the original post and replied with snark. If that helmet catch happens against a 12-4 Chargers team, it’s a cool play but not the biggest in Super Bowl history. No kidding. You’re ignoring that the Giants needed to make four more plays after that for it to matter (Adalius sack, incomplete to Tyree, convert on 3rd and 11 to Smith, Plaxico in the end zone for the lead). Pats make a stop and this biggest play ever is just a footnote like the Kearse catch was. If Tyree caught that in the end zone for the touchdown you’d have a point, but he didn’t. The Giants still had another down even if he didn’t make the play. Butler misses his play, Lockette scores, with only a narrow chance of victory for the Pats by virtue of getting the ball back on a kickoff.

All the Pats had to do after Butler’s pick was QB sneak and victory formation. Change of possession and run the clock out. Seahawks couldn’t get the ball back. It was over. One play decided the outcome, one play didn’t. I’ll let you figure out which is which, if we want to be snarky here.

I didn’t ignore anything, though I’d be happy to extend the same courtesy you gave to me. Not worth my time.

The helmet "catch" was not even the most important part of the play. That play should be called "The Choke Hold". That was the a very egregious missed OL holding call by O'Hara.

 

[1960Pats]

It’s because of that jackass that quarterbacks had to be protected in the rulebook even more than usual, making it even more difficult for his ilk to make tackles. I bet it burns his ass that he failed to end Brady’s playing career, that Brady has gone to play 12 more seasons and counting after that hit (with 4 more rings to his collection), while he was out of the league by age 30. Love to see it.

I think the Steelers were more responsible. After they took out Brady in 2001 they also took out Carson Palmer after he lit them up on a long pass early in a playoff game a few years later. The hit on Palmer may have ended his career as an elite QB.

The Steelers were also pretty vocal about not stopping the head hunting when the league was pushing that change. That tactic ended up costing them one of their own when Ryan Shazir became a cripple after he made one of those hits.

I don't remember the Pollard hit being as obviously intentional. I'd have to see a replay to make a better judgment.

 

[1960Pats]

I said as soon as I found out Brady was leaving that the media had two stories already written and were waiting to see which one they needed. If Brady left and had success, and the pats didnt, the story would be, well there you go its all Brady, Bill was just along for the ride. If Brady left and didnt do well and the team he went to didnt do well and the pats kept winning, the story is, well there you go, it was all Bill Brady was just along for the ride.
In NFL history never has there been a QB compared to a coach like this. Its stupid as any NFL argument that exists. Brady is a player, Bill is a coach. Thats it, you cannot compare them. Nobody ever said was it walsh or Montana, or was it Bradshaw or Knoll. The entire thing was created in order to do one thing and that is to take the most successful duo of coach and QB of all time and try to diminish one of them. Simple as that.

I think Brady put it best with one line when he said that he couldn't do Bill's job and Bill couldn't do his.

The mediots are also trying to create the false narrative that the two men have issues with each other, when they probably respect the hell out of each other after 20 years of unmatched success together.

I only wish that Brady had finished his career here, no matter the record.

 

[TheRainMaker]

After they took out Brady in 2001 they also took out Carson Palmer after he lit them up on a long pass early in a playoff game a few years later.

Yep, it looked like the Steelers were going to get their azzes kicked before that dirty hit.

 

[TheRainMaker]

The helmet "catch" was not even the most important part of the play. That play should be called "The Choke Hold". That was the a very egregious missed OL holding call by O'Hara.

How does a line judge miss that? If we can blatantly see it from our TV screens, they have no excuse. And most people didn't have HDTV's back then. Then there's the "in the grasp" that should've blown the play dead.

 

[Deus Irae]

After they took out Brady in 2001 they also took out Carson Palmer after he lit them up on a long pass early in a playoff game a few years later. The hit on Palmer may have ended his career as an elite QB.

Palmer got taken out first. The Rule is his. It was the additional portion that was put in after Brady. And, because the second hit was on Brady, the addition eventually subsumed the rule, and idiots around the world (I mean you, T. Suggs,) made it seem as if the NFL was all about coddling Tom.

In the AFC wild Card game of the 2004 season

As Kimo tried to sack Palmer, Eric Steinbach while blocking Kimo at a downward angle, caused him to hit Carson in his knee, blowing his ACL, ending his season, thus the Bengals lost to the Steelers.

After Kimo’s hit on Carson Palmer, the NFL decided the rule book needed additional modification for additional player protection, thus making it illegal to hit a quarterback at or below the knee. Despite Kimo’s involvement, the rule is called the Carson Palmer Rule.

6 Pittsburgh Steelers who made the NFL rewrite its rules

In part because of the season-ending left knee injury that Brady suffered in the Patriots' 2008 season opener against the Chiefs, the league's Competition Committee adopted a clarification of the current rule on hits to a quarterback in the knee area or below. The clarification specifically prohibits a defender on the ground who hasn't been blocked or fouled directly into the quarterback from lunging or diving at the quarterback's lower legs...

Brady rule: Steps taken to protect QBs' knees - The Boston Globe

"Like I always said, Carson Palmer got hit in his knee in 2005 but there was no rule made. Then Tom Brady got hit in his knee and all of a sudden there is a rule and possible suspensions, excessive fines - it's just getting ridiculous."

- Terrell Suggs

Terrell Suggs Uses Carson Palmer's Knee Injury As Example For League Favoritism


Palmer did suffer a second ACL injury, but that came much later in his career, in 2014, in a Cardinals v. Rams game.

 

[Lansdowne]

Yep, it looked like the Steelers were going to get their azzes kicked before that dirty hit.

Bledsoe coming in relief and leading them to the Super Bowl berth at Heinz Field was such beautiful poetry. I’m really happy he got a chance to contribute to that run, even for just a game.

 

[Pats1971]

Palmer got taken out first. The Rule is his. It was the additional portion that was put in after Brady. And, because the second hit was on Brady, the addition eventually subsumed the rule, and idiots around the world (I mean you, T. Suggs,) made it seem as if the NFL was all about coddling Tom.








6 Pittsburgh Steelers who made the NFL rewrite its rules




Brady rule: Steps taken to protect QBs' knees - The Boston Globe



Terrell Suggs Uses Carson Palmer's Knee Injury As Example For League Favoritism


Palmer did suffer a second ACL injury, but that came much later in his career, in 2014, in a Cardinals v. Rams game.

Exactly correct. The rule was added after the palmer hit. The rule as it was worded made the hit on Brady legal, even though it wasnt really, so they had to go back and tell the idiots yeah its not a penalty if you are blocked into the QB but if you down you cannot them leap into the side of his planted knee. So no rule was created for Brady, just a wording to the original rule.

 

[Pats1971]

Bledsoe coming in relief and leading them to the Super Bowl berth at Heinz Field was such beautiful poetry. I’m really happy he got a chance to contribute to that run, even for just a game.

eh. Bledsoe was actually as average as you can get in that game. He was under 50% passing. The real hero's of that game was the special teams and Slash who played for the Steelers he contributed to the pats winning quite a bit.

 

[oldrover]

I think Belichick is the greatest but we should put things in perspective. Ernie Adams identified this play for repeated practice. And in the actual play itself, Brandon Browner quickly identifies what's happening, you can see him tell Malcolm what to do and Browner gets up fast to prevent the pick.
Finally, in 99% of all cases it's either an incompletion, or tackle at the 1 yard line, still very bad and Seattle likely still scores shortly after. The fact Malcolm Butler intercepted the mf'ing football is miraculous and amazing. I think it's the biggest swing in statistical winning% of a Superbowl play in history. So again, let's not go overboard for Belichick on this one.

To your point, IIRC, up to that point, throughout the entire season, there were 161 instances of a pass at the 1 yard line.

None of those plays had resulted in an interception. Until that one.

 

[sb1]

I think Belichick is the greatest but we should put things in perspective. Ernie Adams identified this play for repeated practice. And in the actual play itself, Brandon Browner quickly identifies what's happening, you can see him tell Malcolm what to do and Browner gets up fast to prevent the pick.
Finally, in 99% of all cases it's either an incompletion, or tackle at the 1 yard line, still very bad and Seattle likely still scores shortly after. The fact Malcolm Butler intercepted the mf'ing football is miraculous and amazing. I think it's the biggest swing in statistical winning% of a Superbowl play in history. So again, let's not go overboard for Belichick on this one.

Now I’m curious what the swing in win probability actually was before and after the pick. Not sure if that’s kept track anywhere for past seasons Super Bowls.

Edit: found it

 

[Huckleberry1]

Ok. I don't disagree strongly with the above. But

The Patriots have an extra Superbowl ring because of Malcolm Butler specifically intercepting it and not just tipping it away. Seahawks had a 99% win percentage at that point in the game. Goal line at the 1, multiple downs to try, best RB in the league, with almost no time left. Malcolm Butler made the greatest play in Superbowl history.

I don’t disagree with that, I just give Belichick tremendous credit for that situation. Truth is that he never even gets that opportunity if Hightower doesn’t save them on the play before it. But Belichick had actually prepared them for exactly the situation he provoked by not calling that timeout. Patricia even comes up to him and asks fof he wants the timeout called and Belichick was staring right at Pete Carroll and new what he would call if he went with 8 big and 3 cornerbacks, and he said “ I got this.” If they score Belichick gets big time blame for not calling the time out, so when he makes a call like that he deserves big time credit for it.

 

[Huckleberry1]

To your point, IIRC, up to that point, throughout the entire season, there were 161 instances of a pass at the 1 yard line.

None of those plays had resulted in an interception. Until that one.

And the reason that one ended up in an interception was Belichick knew the play they thought would work 100% if the time, and sent out the defense to snuff it out.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Yanno with all this crap about BB the GM and BB the HC, can I get an amen for Goodell the Lawgiver getting in the way of both? Okay that was before. But still. I think the goal was to prevent a reanimated dynasty, and frankly, it worked.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

For a minute anyway.

 

[patsfanincleveland]

eh. Bledsoe was actually as average as you can get in that game. He was under 50% passing. The real hero's of that game was the special teams and Slash who played for the Steelers he contributed to the pats winning quite a bit.

He did throw the TD.

Ted Johnson's sister and I were the only Pats fans at that game. Met her on the Clemente Bridge.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Bledsoe coming in relief and leading them to the Super Bowl berth at Heinz Field was such beautiful poetry. I’m really happy he got a chance to contribute to that run, even for just a game.

I was referring to the Bengals game before the Steelers cheap shoted Palmer. But Bledsoe coming in and getting revenge for 1997 was awesome. Watching the Steelers Offense getting shell shocked was hilarious.

 

[TheRainMaker]

eh. Bledsoe was actually as average as you can get in that game. He was under 50% passing. The real hero's of that game was the special teams and Slash who played for the Steelers he contributed to the pats winning quite a bit.

He was great the his first drive when he threw that TD. Yeah he was pretty shaky after that, but he hadn't played since week 2.