The New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots, 21-17, in Super Bowl XLVI
by Anthony Defeo on Feb 6, 2012 9:30 AM EST
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PrintJust some thoughts on last night's Super Bowl victory by the Giants:
*Did anyone else share the opinion that maybe the Giants and Patriots weren't the two best teams in the NFL? It was an exciting game, don't get me wrong, but it just didn't have that magical feel that most Super Bowls have. It sort of felt like the Finals of the NCAA Men's tournament, where, often-times, the two teams that make it aren't always the two best teams in the country.
*After about a quarter or so, I realized that these weren't your 2007 New England Patriots, and I sort of felt bad rooting against them. I mean, I wanted them to lose and all, but it felt like punching the 2007 team in the head while it was already knocked out. The Patriots basically had one good segment the entire night, divided into two parts--the 96-yard touchdown drive at the end of the first half, and the 79-yard touchdown drive to begin the second half--other than that, I thought the Giants were the better team the entire night.
*Why were the Patriots favored by 3-points?
*Maybe it's just the parity of the NFL, but has an NFL team ever won two Super Bowls in half a decade the way the New York Giants have? In 2007, they barely made the playoffs as a wild card team and had to win three-straight road games in the postseason just to make it to the Super Bowl. In the Super Bowl, they were huge underdogs to the 18-0 New England Patriots, but pulled off the incredible upset. The next year, they were one and done in the playoffs. The next two years, they didn't even make the playoffs. And this year, they were 7-7 after 14 games before winning their last two games to get into the playoffs as the NFC East Champions. And with the exception of having one home game in the first round, they pretty much followed the same '07 path to the Super Bowl and won it again over the Patriots. I used to laugh when players on wild card teams would say, "hey, once you make the postseason, anything can happen." Well, after the way the last seven seasons have gone--five of the past seven Super Bowl winners started their playoff journey in the wild card round--I am no longer laughing.
*The Giants finished the year dead-last in rushing the football. I guess that puts more dirt on the "You need to run the football in-order to win championships" sentiment.
*Eli Manning has engineered two Super Bowl-winning touchdown drives in the final minute. Has any other NFL quarterback done that? I know Tom Brady led the Patriots on two Super Bowl winning field goal drives, but both games were tied. In Manning's case, his teams were behind each time. I can't think of any NFL quarterback who's done that more than once.
*Is Eli Manning elite? Who cares? All I know is he's pretty damn elite in fourth quarters of Super Bowls.
*Eli Manning winning the Super Bowl in the house that his brother built? I can't believe it's not a bigger story. Before the year, everyone wondered if Peyton Manning would be able to lead his team to the biggest homefield advantage in Super Bowl history. Who could have predicted that Eli would be the Manning leaving Lucas Oil Stadium with the Lombardi trophy?
*When the Giants took over at their own 12-yard line with three minutes and change remaining, was there any doubt that Manning would lead the Giants to a winning-score? When Eli hit Mario Manningham with that perfect 38 yard pass down the sideline, and when Manningham did his sideline version of David Tyree, I knew the Giants were winning that game.
*Bill Belichick letting Ahmad Bradshaw score the go-ahead touchdown in-order to preserve time on the clock? Absolutely the right thing to do.
*Bradshaw not being able to stop himself at the one-yard line to take more time off the clock? Come on, man, seriously? You couldn't stop? What are you, like one of those pro wrestlers who can't "stop" himself when another wrestler throws him into the ropes?
*How's Bradshaw going to tell his grandchildren that story in the future? "Oh yes, I took on three tacklers and bulled my way into the end zone for the Super Bowl winning touchdown. Nope, I lost the video. Sorry, kids."
*If the Steelers were in a similar situation, and the opposing coach decided to let them walk into the end zone in-order to save time, do you think Chris Kemoeatu would still get totally owned by the defensive lineman?
*Remember the old days when every Super Bowl was a blow-out? We haven't had one of those in a long time.
*At 65 years and however many days old, Tom Coughlin became the oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl. I can't believe his Giants players gave him a Gatorade bath. He could catch pneumonia.
*Like most Steelers fans, I always want Brady to get his, but that intentional grounding call on a forty yard pass that resulted in a safety was kind of bogus. I mean, how can anyone definitively say that he was throwing it away to avoid a sack on a pass that long?
*Anyone bet money that a safety would be the first points in the Super Bowl? How much did you win?
*Before Spygate surfaced, the Patriots were 12-2 in the postseason, including 3-0 in Super Bowls. Since Spygate was snuffed out, the Patriots are 4-4 in the postseason, including 0-2 in the Super Bowl. Mean anything?
*Spygate or not, five Super Bowl appearances in 11 seasons by the Patriots is pretty damn impressive.
*I was going to mention the halftime show and the commercials, but I forgot to care enough to pay attention to either entity.
*Welcome to the offseason. :(
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No he hasn’t. He had an amazing year, sure, but he has been average for the majority of his time in the league. Ben has been elite since, well, almost forever.
"If you havin' dragon problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 arrows but my knee took one."
I kind of agree with deli. Eli improves every year, I can’t really say Ben has been doing that. Early part of their career Ben>Eli, no doubt, but I don’t think it’s true anymore. And I’m not even just going by Eli winning the SB.
Anyway, I hope people start chirping to Ben about Eli being better. Maybe it will motivate him to get better.
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
Agree with most
Except your point on running the ball, the Giants had injured backs all year and it wasn’t until they got healthy and could run that they got on their roll, from their rb’s they had 29 – 159 against the Falcons, 23-85 against GB, 25-87 against SF, the best rush D, and 27 -115 in the SB. Just the attempts alone shortened those games and made it easier to pass the ball, passing may have won them those games but with they don’t pass as successfully without being able to run the ball like they did. Either way, just glad NE lost, Steelers open as the second favorites for next season behind the Pats somehow and should have an interesting off-season, Go Steelers, hope Ben gets his third ring next season and jumps back ahead of Eli.
Those rushing stats don't really blow you away, however.
I think the simple fact that we’re happy with 85 yards in a game is a testament to just how far the importance of running game has fallen in today’s NFL. The Giants were able to control the clock, though. Whether it was by running the ball or short passes, 37:05 in time of possession is pretty good.
Time of possession is time of possession no matter how you acquire it.
by Anthony Defeo on Feb 6, 2012 10:42 AM EST up reply actions
I'd agree with that
But even 3 less rushing attempts, even for 0 yards, gives Brady another minute and a half to drive the field and possibly keeps a TO in their pocket that they had to use. When you play close games that can be the difference between winning and losing. While the yardage isn’t great, it did shorten the game enough and opened up play-action which helped their passing game. Just think, in that second Baltimore game, we run one more time instead of an incomplete pass and Baltimore loses 40 seconds, we win that game and it’s probably a different outcome for the season. I know, a hundred other factors could change the outcome as well but just running in the right situation could have changed our season and it secured a title for NY just by giving Brady less time on one drive for the win.
Nice points Tony
This read like a “Monday AM Quarterback” which I regularly enjoy in spite of the Peter King haters around.
Only things I would argue would be...
The G-Men’s running attack may have been last this year, but 28 for 114 and 4.1 yds per carry did mean something in its contribution to sucking up the clock. It also kept play action effective and kept the Pats guessing.
On Kemo……He wouldn’t have been owned…he’s good in the run game. He would have been flagged for a hold or a personal foul though :)
The Spygate stats are great btw…..even Hoke tweeted about it!
Spygate
Good points, especially Spygate. Those are interesting statisitics! That was an exciting game to watch last night. Whether or not the were the 2 best teams, they both deserved to be there and played well. Glad the Giants won, because I can’t stand the Patriots!
In fairness
There’s more going on than spygate – the Patriots had a really good defense back in those days, and they have a mediocre at best defense now. That makes a difference.
Still, there is and always will be a strong correlation between getting caught cheating and suddenly struggling to win in the postseason that Patriots fans will always have to explain, and the “it’s the difference in defense” argument will always sound kind of desperate and lame.
Eli
Eli is now for sure an Elite QB, probably top 3 in the league. Great clutch performer, great arm and VERY accurate.
I could see a few more SB wins for NYG if he plays like this. NY has a great organization like PITT it seems.
Sorry, I Call Bandwagon
Eli is still the guy who threw 25 INT’s last year
So Drew Brees isn’t an elite QB then? Any QB that throws 20+ Int’s is all the sudden not good?
(Brees threw 22 last season)
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
If that is the case
Perhaps the Saints will consider trading Mr. Brees to San Francisco.
Screw the Peyton sweepstakes- give us the short dude, and with our defense, the NFL will tremble.
That, and another quality WR.
"Football combines the two worst things about America: It is violence punctuated by committee meetings" -George Will
by lottwasgangsta on Feb 8, 2012 6:14 PM EST up reply actions
NO...
…you can have Colt McCoy instead; the way the Browns treated him, they don’t lke him anyway.
United we Stand, melded like Steel
To Roger Goodell, We'll never Yield.
top 5
I don’t like Eli, but from what I saw of the Giants last year, several of those INT’s were him trying to do too much to rescue a team that didn’t give him enough help. Frank’s point about Brees is also valid- if it’s one season, it can be an anomaly, and doesn’t mean they aren’t still a very good QB. He cut WAY down on his INT numbers this and most other years.
I don’t think he’s as good as everyone thought he was Monday morning, or in Jan. 2008, but he’s made the leap from good to…sigh…elite.
"Football combines the two worst things about America: It is violence punctuated by committee meetings" -George Will
by lottwasgangsta on Feb 8, 2012 6:13 PM EST up reply actions
I thought he was top five before the SB. I know he’s thrown picks, but I’ve also watched a lot of Giants games and I see what he does. He’s got “it”
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
He does indeed
And agreed above- for the most part, I think QB’s make receivers great, though there are the obvious exceptions.
Someone’s gonna pay a ton for Mario Manningham in the next several months, than be baffled when he turns out to just be solid, not spectacular.
"Football combines the two worst things about America: It is violence punctuated by committee meetings" -George Will
by lottwasgangsta on Feb 8, 2012 10:52 PM EST up reply actions
*Spygate or not, five Super Bowl appearances in 11 seasons by the Patriots is pretty damn impressive.
as is being the newest member of the LOSER OF 4 SUPER BOWLS category
*
The Giants finished the year dead-last in rushing the football. I guess that puts more dirt on the “You need to run the football in-order to win championships” sentiment.But they were able to run effectively when they wanted to, keeping T.Baby off the field.
but that intentional grounding call on a forty yard pass that resulted in a safety was kind of bogus.
Actually, that play signaled the refs revoking the “free pass” T. Baby and the Patsies usually get for being so magnificent. If you watch the play again, there wasn’t a Patsie within 20 yards of where the ball could have been caught, let alone where it landed. I thought it was exactly the right flag to throw; and enjoyed it all the more to see T. Baby’s hubris cost his team 9 points (2 on the safety, then 7 on change of possession).
Who could have predicted that Eli would be the Manning leaving Lucas Oil Stadium with the Lombardi trophy?
That’s what I love about this sport; a script writer would have no credibility trying to write this story, but the Muses have no limitations on what they write into life.
United we Stand, melded like Steel
To Roger Goodell, We'll never Yield.
It was the right call
One very good explanation is that Brady thought he had a receiver running to that spot, and the receiver broke of his route or just ran the wrong route. It was still the right call, though.
Regardless of whether or not it actually was intentional, when the ball lands that far from any receiver when the quarterback is under pressure inside the pocket, the ref HAS to throw the flag. Otherwise it would be too easy to for quarterbacks to claim the receiver broke off the route and the whole point of the rule would be ruined.
What really surprised me is that Brady didn’t protest. What kickers are to football players, Brady is to quarterbacks, but he was strangely silent on this one.
+1 on many points
Esp. the first.
In spite of the fact that it was a close game that went down to the final gun, the game was as anticlimactic as Bradshaw’s fall into the end zone. The over/ under on minutes after kickoff before I fell asleep was 180. Yawn. I guess you have to be a fan of one of these two teams to find this one exciting.
Eli vs. Ben
What’s going to come back and haunt Ben when talking HOF and the great ones is not getting the MVP against the Cardinals. He had good numbers and c’mon…that drive was all him. Why Santonio got the MVP I could never understand. Ben’s numbers in that game were better than either of Eli’s 2 SB MVP’s.
Just goes to show
If the Pats had won, Brady probably would’ve gotten the MVP, which would’ve been proof that he’s the greatest ever despite the fact that he played a pretty mediocre game that really consisted of a lot of routine throws punctuated by a couple key mistakes.
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